Promises to Keep
by CiaraShayee
Summary: Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy endings in the wake of her captor's demise; big questions still go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't mean it can't catch up.
1. Prologue

**So, before I say anything else, I need to get my  
'thank you' cards out. I'm honoured and stunned  
speechless by the love that has been shown to me and  
these characters, but above all I'm absolutely  
BLOWN AWAY and reeling from the news that  
you voted Pinky Promises as the No.1 Fic of September  
over on the TwiFanfictionRecs site!**

 **I honestly cannot believe it, and I have no words  
except…THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.  
It means so much to me to know how much you treasure  
this little world and the characters in it.**

 **Thank you for being cheerleaders, fans, and loving these  
** **characters like I do. They, and I, love you back.**

 **As a thank you for being so wonderful, I'm going to  
** **begin posting this a little earlier than planned. You're welcome ;)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **I SHOULD MENTION, IF YOU'RE A NEWBIE HERE -  
** WELCOME! NICE TO MEET YOU! :)  
 **BUT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT 'PINKY PROMISES'  
** **FIRST OR A BUNCH OF THIS ISN'T GOING TO MAKE  
A LOT OF SENSE. IT'S ON MY PROFILE xo**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters of course belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise; big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises To Keep**

 **Prologue**

 _ **August 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019**_

" _Mamma, Mamma, Mamma!_ "

Bella laughed, shaking her head as she pulled a platter of mini quiches and sausage rolls from the fridge. When she turned, knocking the door closed with her hip, she revealed the toothy grin of her son. Laughter bubbled up from her stomach as she took in the mess all over his face; he had blue icing over his cheeks and a smudge of what looked like frosting across his forehead.

"Baby boy, what on Earth have you been doing?"

Bodhi shrugged, completely unconcerned by his messy face, and wiped his rosy cheeks with the back of his hand. "Mamma, the c-cakes are all g-g-gone!"

"Well, sweet boy, it looks like you might have had enough for now…"

 _Uh oh, there's the pout._ "But, Mamma—"

" _Coo-ee!_ "

Sensing a great opportunity to distract her son, Bella gestured for him to go and greet his new guests. "Mimi and PopPop are here, baby. Go say 'hi,' please."

Bodhi looked between the platter of food in his mother's hands and the doorway, sighing and trudging toward the latter as Esme and Carlisle appeared. His face brightened as soon as he spotted the colourful wrapped box in Carlisle's arms.

"Mimi! PopPop!"

Esme swung Bodhi up into her arms; no mean feat considering his size. He definitely took after Archie and Charlie and already had their stocky build, even at only three years old. "Happy birthday, gorgeous boy! Are you having a fandabidozi day?"

Bodhi grinned, flashing his teeth and leaning in when Esme pointed at her cheek, silently requesting a kiss. "The _b-bestest_ day, M-Mimi!"

"Good! And how old are you, again?" Carlisle asked with a teasing wink for Bella. She grinned and watched Esme and Carlisle love on her boy for a moment before heading outside with the food. Unsurprisingly, just an hour into her boy's party the food was already dwindling. Luckily, they'd prepared a feast, having anticipated the heart appetites of their large family.

"Ah, there you are! Uncle El wants a photo of you with the kids. Do you want me to take over food duty?" Rosalie offered, looping her arm through Bella's once she'd set the food down and taken a step back to take a quick look around.

The garden was full of family and friends. With the fence between the Swan and Hale houses long-gone, they had just about enough room to accommodate everyone. If the family grew any bigger they'd have to look at breaking into Jasper and Alice's garden next-door, or having large gatherings like this one at another location better equipped to deal with the rapidly expanding group.

Charlie and Peter were there, of course; they were manning the barbecue, occasionally assisted by a combination of Emmett, Eleazer, Archie, and Edward when they weren't off socializing. All the men had beers in their hands and smiles on their faces. Every now and then they clustered around the barbecue, their raucous laughter and macho showboating over their meat-grilling skills bringing smiles to the faces of their families.

Most of the women were gathered around the picnic tables, which had been pushed together to create one long bench along the back of the garden. There were soft drinks on the tables for now, but Bella knew there were bottles of wine waiting in the fridge to be brought out once the kids were asleep.

Bella smiled as she spotted Alyssa and little Riley over by the paddling pool. Marley had befriended shy, sweet Riley during the first week of school – in fact, she'd also defended him from an overzealous boy from another class, winding up getting her first Sad Face card for kicking him in the misters after he took Riley's glasses and snapped one of the arms. She and Riley had been fast friends ever since and Bella often collected him from school with Marley, so they could have playdates while Alyssa worked her shifts at a local café. As a single parent living on the opposite side of the country from her disapproving parents, Alyssa had been absorbed into the folds of the big, mish-mashed family as though she'd always been there – she and Riley were now firm favourites of the entire clan.

There were kids everywhere; in the pool, playing on the rope-swing attached to the oak tree at the foot of the garden, and running through the house and garden despite the distracted, half-hearted protests from their parents.

An excited bark preceded gleeful squeals and a big splash. Sammy leapt into the pool, drenching all the children and splashing anyone nearby. Now ten-months-old and definitely no longer a runt, Sammy bounced around in the water to the delight of the children until he spotted Charlie sneaking Faith a sausage from the barbecue. He leapt out and sprinted across the garden, all thirty-five wet kilos of him slamming into Charlie's legs as he skidded on the grass.

Bella's smile widened as she turned to watch Esme and Carlisle enter the garden with Bodhi dragging them by their hands. All three wore beaming grins.

Remembering that Rosalie had asked her a question, Bella turned to her friend. "If you're sure you don't mind? That would be great, thank you."

Rosalie laughed lightly, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. She was wearing it down a lot more these days; she'd admitted to Bella that Emmett preferred it that way. "No problem. Grab the munchkins and don't forget to use the props!"

Bella left Rosalie to fetch more food from the kitchen and headed toward her children. Bodhi had towed his Mimi and PopPop to the paddling pool, where his sister was overseeing some of the friends he'd made through playgroups he and Bella attended while Marley went to school. Bodhi's best friend, Jonah, was the three-year-old younger brother of Marley's friend, Matthew. Both boys were at the party, as well as their parents.

Eleazer was snapping photos of the children splashing in the pool, but he caught Bella's eye and waved her toward the photo booth they'd erected beside the shed when he spotted her making her way over.

"Bodhi, Marley! Can we take some photos together, please?"

"'Kay, Mamma!" Bodhi scrambled out of the water, tugging Marley with him by the ruffled skirt of her swimsuit. Bella's eyes scanned the garden in search of Edward. _Where on Earth is—_

"Gotcha!" Edward's arms looped around Bella's waist as his chin came to rest on her shoulder. As she gasped and reached back to jab him in the side for scaring her, Edward chuckled and pressed a soft, warm kiss to the bare skin of her neck. "Sorry, _mi amore._ I couldn't resist."

"Hmmm. I'll remember that when I can't resist dumping a bucket of water over you later," Bella teased, enjoying the warmth and strength of his body wrapped around hers. There was no nicer feeling than Edward's touch.

"C'mon Mamma an' Daddy! Unca El's gotta take p-pic-shurs!" Bodhi cried, pulling props from the bucket in the makeshift booth with Marley.

Ten minutes later, the quartet was laughing at the resulting images of their mini photoshoot.

"I like this one the best," Marley giggled. Bella couldn't help but agree with her daughter. She was sitting on the stool wearing a Hawaiian flower necklace and neon pink sunglasses, with Edward standing behind her clad in a top hat and fake nose. She had Marley on one knee, Bodhi on the other, both wearing strings of beaded necklaces, space-hopper headbands, and Bodhi had added an extra pair of glasses with 'Birthday Boy' standing above the lenses. Faith and Sammy had been corralled into the booth and sat, side-by-side in front of Bella and the children, both dogs wearing Hawaiian flower necklaces; Sammy's was white and red while Faith's was pink and purple.

They little family wore the widest of grins and looked beyond happy. It was all Bella had ever wanted.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Thank you for coming, Uncle El. And for taking all the pictures."

Eleazer chuckled, a loud, booming sound. "Not a problem at all, sweetheart. I had a great time. I'll get the pictures edited and send them all back to you to hand out." He drew her into a tight hug and Bella was reminded of the first hug he'd given her after their reunion.

" _Crikey, you look just like your mother," Eleazer finally breathed, a tear sliding over his cheek to drop onto his blue shirt. Charlie's chuckle was watery, Scarlett's shuddering exhale shaking her entire body. Eleazer's eyes roamed over her face, taking in this familiar yet so unfamiliar young woman. Both Charlie and Scarlett could see the wheels turning; see the recognition as it dawned in his eyes. He was the first, and definitely wouldn't be the last, to notice how inconceivably closely she resembled Penelope._

" _How are you? Are you okay?"_

 _Scarlett nodded jerkily._

" _Is it okay if I give you a hug?"_

 _This time, Scarlett's nod wasn't just jerky, it was hesitant. She wanted so badly to be able to hug her uncle, but she was very aware that it only seemed to take the smallest things to send her into a panic attack. That wasn't what she wanted, not today, not on her brother's birthday._

 _Compartmentalizing her pain and fear, Scarlett took a step towards Eleazer. Slowly, so as not to scare her, he moved closer before finally wrapping his arms loosely around her shoulders. The shudder rippling through her made him want to let go, but she shook her head when he made to move, so he stayed. They were still hugging five minutes later when his wife and their children found them._

As he let go, Bella breathed out shakily and gave him a wobbly smile before stretching up to kiss his cheek. Then she moved on to hug Carmen and the rest of the family. They were the last to leave so Bella closed the door after watching them pile into the minivan and then headed into the kitchen, where she'd left her family. Pausing in the doorway, Bella felt her lips spreading into a relaxed, content smile.

Charlie had Bodhi against his chest, the little boy's head hanging over his Pawpaw's shoulder as he drooled and softly snored. Edward was sitting at the breakfast bar with Marley, their heads bowed over his phone as they watched a video together. Bella could hear the quiet sound of puppies playing and realized they were probably watching a video from the Dalmatian page Edward had joined on _Facebook._ They both loved seeing all the antics of the Dalmatians in the thousands-strong group and often shared pictures and videos of their own crazy duo in there.

Through the slightly opened patio doors, Bella could see Emmett and Rosalie sitting together on a lounger; her back to his front, their arms joined over her stomach. They'd stayed behind to help pack up and get rid of all the debris left over from Bodhi's third birthday celebration. Bella had been glad of the help, not realizing just how much mess a bunch of three-year-olds and their families could make.

"Mamma, do I hafta go to bed yet?" Marley asked softly, hope infusing her sweet voice.

Bella smiled and crossed the room to loop her arms around her daughter, pressing a kiss to the crown of Marley's head. "No, baby girl. It's only seven…"

Bella trailed off, shooting a wink at her dad on the other side of the kitchen. He smothered his mustache-topped grin, and they all waited patiently. They'd all been working hard on helping Marley master telling the time, so they wore encouraging smiles as Marley calculated how much longer she had before bed time. Edward had made her a promise earlier in the day; that she could have an extra half hour added to her regular bedtime of seven-thirty if she behaved.

Marley frowned, humming. "So…I have one hour? 'Cause it's seven, and Daddy said I can go to bed at eight if I'm good." She turned to peer hopefully at her dad. "I've been good, right, Daddy?"

Edward's eyes flashed with mischief. "Hmmm…I don't know. You _did_ splash Mimi in the pool earlier…"

The comically disgruntled look on Marley's face broke Edward's stern composure. A chuckle burst from his lips as he leaned in to Eskimo kiss her. "You were _so_ good, little sweet. Of course, you can stay up. Well done for working it out for yourself, too."

Beaming with pride, Marley returned her attention to the phone, scrolling through the feed of Dalmatian pictures.

"Awww, Mamma, look at this!"

Bella leaned over Marley's shoulder to see the picture she'd enlarged; a litter of twelve, spotted puppies tumbled over each other in a big basket, their sweet, black noses making Bella's lips curl into a smile. "Very cute, baby girl."

"Is that the one you showed me earlier, Mars?" Charlie asked, shaking his head fondly when Marley nodded. "I bet they eat a whole lot and do a ton of poops in the garden. I mean, Faith and Sammy do enough, and there's only two of them."

Charlie's frank statement coincided with Emmett and Rosalie's entry into the kitchen as well as the sound of a soft _knock-knock_ on the front door.

"I'll get it," Emmett offered, squeezing Rosalie's hand and heading for the hallway. "I've got to run out to the car anyway," he added.

"All right, thanks, Em," Bella told him, snuggling her daughter once more and watching a new video on the phone. This time, a fully-grown Dalmatian with a small eye patch chased after a seagull on the beach, his long legs stirring up the shallow waves. Marley giggled when he ran back, to presumably, his owner and shook heartily, splashing water everywhere. It reminded Bella of the first time Faith and Sammy had visited the beach. They'd taken a risk that they wouldn't run off and let them off their leashes for the first time, as they were pretty much alone. A canvas of the children and puppies running together along the water's edge at sunset hung over the fireplace in the living room.

"This one's messy, Mamma."

Bella hummed into her daughter's hair, her heart full and happy. It had been a perfect day.

She'd woken to Edward's soft kisses up and down the back of her neck and along her bare shoulder. Only minutes later, Marley and Bodhi had careened into the room, both half-dressed because they hated pyjamas and usually ended pulling them off halfway through the night. They'd clambered into bed with their parents, Bella and Edward both thankful they'd thought to pull clothes on after making love the night before.

" _Mamma, it's baby Beesy's birthday!" Marley cheered, bouncing onto the bed before hoisting her brother up, too._

 _Bodhi grinned toothily, but Bella and Edward could tell he hadn't woken himself. A certain, exuberant little girl had definitely had a hand in it._

" _Good morning, handsome boy. Happy birthday."_

 _Bodhi crawled up to snuggle into his mother, his smile turning bashful. "_ Gwazie _, Mamma."_

 _Edward stretched out, tugging Marley down between him and Bella before leaning over to kiss his boy's head. "Happy birthday,_ tesoro _. Do you feel three?"_

 _Peals of laughter erupted from Marley's lips. She clapped her hands over her mouth and watched with glee as Edward unfolded himself from the covers and lifted Bodhi from Bella's arms, holding him high in the air._

 _Bodhi laughed sleepily, flailing his arms and legs in the air. "Daddy, p-p-put me d-down!"_

 _Bella quickly grabbed her phone from the nightstand, videoing Edward as he lowered his son to sit on his belly before shooting her and Marley a wink; they knew all-too-well what Edward was about to do._

"Tesoro _, do you feel three? Do you want me to check?"_

 _Before Bodhi could answer, Edward began his assault, tickling his baby boy all over but making sure to hit the spots where he knew Bodhi was most ticklish; his thighs and neck._

Bella sighed happily. It had been the perfect start to what had been a wonderful day. Waking up with her handsome, self-titled Hubs and their beautiful children just couldn't be beaten.

"Uh, B? Please, can you come here a sec?"

Frowning at the odd tremor to Emmett's voice, Bella stroked her daughter's hair, planted a kiss on Edward's cheek, and headed out into the hall. As she reached the doorway separating the kitchen from the hallway, she got an unexplainable, heavy feeling in her gut. Stepping through the arch, she spotted Emmett rubbing the back of his neck wearing a nervous expression.

It was the figure beside him that caught her attention and held it, though.

He was tall, lean, and sporting a smart suit. It was black and appeared to be tailored to fit his frame. He was standing side-on to her, looking closely at a photo on the wall. Charlie had changed them just the day before, updating them from the childhood pictures of her youth, so she didn't know which picture had captured his attention without getting closer.

Something in her subconscious told her not to take a single step anywhere near him, no matter how harmless he initially appeared.

"Bella, I…"

As Emmett spoke her name, the stranger began to turn.

As he spun to face her, Bella suddenly realized…he wasn't a stranger.

The man's sandy brown hair used to be longer; shoulder-length, almost. It was now short and spiky with a manhandled touch of chaos. His skin looked paler than she remembered, as if it needed a little more sun. His frame had changed, too. He was more built, more muscular, but still on the lean side.

A flicker of a memory from Archie's birthday party two years ago shoved its way to the forefront of her mind.

 _Bella huffed, but she was smiling as she waited for Carl-Roman to leave the bathroom. Bodhi babbled happily in her arms, content to munch on his prawn cocktail Skips. He had two in each chubby fist and several mashed into his curls._

 _The bathroom door flew open, Carl-Roman grinning wide as he shot past Bella and ran down the stairs._

 _Bella quickly took care of business before following him, and was just getting to the bottom of the stairs as Esme began closing the front door._

" _Who was that?"_

 _Esme shrugged. "A nice young man. I think he had the wrong address, poor love."_

 _As Esme swung the door closed, Bella caught a quick glimpse of the man climbing into a small car on the other side of the road. He looked familiar, but somehow not; she couldn't place him._

He _was_ familiar, because she knew him. He hadn't had the wrong address at all.

His face came into view then, and she gasped. One of her hands shot out to grip the door frame to hold her up, her legs shaking and perilously close to giving up.

Those eyes…

They were the wrong colour, but they were the same. She hadn't noticed it before, but now…

"Scarlett?"

There was a sudden flurry of activity then, and Bella didn't realize why until later.

Her legs gave up their fight, and she slid slowly to the floor, warm hands caressing her face as she tucked her face between her bended knees and sucked in shallow breaths.

 _He can't be here. He can't. This wasn't supposed to happen._

"Who the hell are you?" _Edward._ His voice sounded like…like it was coming from underwater.

"I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean… _shit._ I didn't mean to scare her. Is she okay?"

 _No, no, no._ Bella shook her head. _His voice is the same._

"I said, _who the hell are you?_ "

The man coughed. Bella mumbled his name before he could. She heard the sharp intake of breath; Rosalie.

"What…what did you say?"

Prying her eyes open took a monumental effort, but Bella did it. As she looked up at Edward, her gaze blurred by tears and her entire body trembling like a leaf, she breathed out a gust of air and prayed fervently that this was all an awful dream and she'd wake up soon. The pain and fear in Edward's jade eyes broke her heart, and the panic clutching her chest made Bella want to run to her babies and hide them away.

"Bella…do you know this man?" Edward asked softly; his eyes gave away the fact that he already knew. On some level, Edward recognized the same things in this man's face that she had. He just didn't want to admit it.

Bella closed her eyes for a moment, reaching out blindly to hold onto Edward. "I do." _Emmett and Rosalie do, too._ She opened them again, looking over at him.

Him – the unwanted intruder in her perfect family life.

Him – the man whose appearance had changed almost completely, except for the almond shape of his eyes.

The almond-shaped eyes she saw each and every day in the face of her three-year-old son.

"His name is Paul. P-Paul Lucien."

* * *

 **Okay…**

 **I know, I know. I'm mean. I'm sorry, but if you've come from Pinky Promises, you'll probably not be all that surprised.**

 **I will make a promise now though – this, like its predecessor, will be a HEA. Cross my heart.**

 **I was too eager to post this and made a few changes after the wonderful** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding **worked their magic; thank you, ladies! You're the best, and I'm so glad you've decided to join me on this crazy ride. All errors are mine.**

 **Thank you for joining me, and these characters we all know and love, to continue their journey. And thank you for trusting me enough to not freak out and abandon us halfway through this chapter. It won't all be doom and gloom, I promise.**

 **Strap in tight, guys and girlies! xo**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Also...** SunflowerFran **'s PAY IT FOWARD blog will be hosting a new story by a newbie author, an old, much-loved classic, and a story from a returning author each month. If you want any help or to know more, please contact myself or Fran. We'll be happy to assist you! Fran was an amazing help in building an audience for Pinky Promises, so I'd love to give back by helping someone else xo**


	2. Chapter One

**I'm so glad you all seem excited to see this  
returning! I was worried, I'll admit it, that I was  
going overboard continuing this story. I just wasn't  
ready to let go yet, and it seems that a lot of you  
aren't, either.**

 **I apologise for the rocky start, but this – Paul showing  
up – was always going to have to happen. Some of  
you guessed it back in Pinky Promises. I promise this  
won't be as rocky as its predecessor, but it WILL cover  
some real-life issues.  
**

 **That said…there will also be tonnes and tonnes of  
fluffy family time to even it out.**

 **Hang tight and enjoy :)**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella_

 _is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally_

 _home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the_

 _ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy_

 _endings in the wake of her captor's demise; big questions still_

 _go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't_

 _mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter One**

 _ **September 1st, 2017**_

" _Knock, knock!"_

" _Come in!"_

 _Rosalie poked her head into the room, smiling when she spotted Bella on the bed. "You're ready!"_

" _This little boy had me up before the sun," Bella sighed, trailing her fingertips over Bodhi's chubby cheek. He'd fussed until she scooped him from his Pack 'n Play at around four. He happily took a bottle and had his nappy changed, then promptly fell back to sleep against her chest._

 _With Marley having a sleepover with Rosalie, Bella hadn't needed to worry about waking her, so she'd turned on the TV, leaving the volume down low._

 _Not that she'd paid it much attention; Bodhi's changing expressions and soft noises were far more entertaining._

" _His sister was up early, too," Rosalie sighed, reaching up to adjust her ponytail. "She drifted off again for a bit, but I couldn't get back to sleep, so we got up a little while ago. Chuck's getting a start on breakfast."_

" _All right, we'll be down in a second, Ro."_

 _Rosalie left them in peace once more, so Bella released a long breath and leaned down to kiss her sleeping son's head._

 _Today was the day he'd legally become Bodhi Edward Charlie Swan._

 _And tomorrow...Bella's lips curled up into a grin against Bodhi's crown; tomorrow, Edward was coming home._

 _Finally._

 _ **~ oOo ~**_

 _As Bella left the registrar's office and crossed the hall to the foyer, she couldn't help but keep glancing between Bodhi in his carrier at the end of one arm, and the certificate in her other hand._

 _She'd gotten stuck when she was asked about the father._

 _No, he wasn't present. No, she didn't know any of his details. No, he wasn't present in the child's life._

 _But Bella hadn't been able to leave the 'father' section completely blank._

 _Although it didn't bear thinking about, what if something happened to her and Bodhi needed to know who Paul was? What if, in later life, he needed answers to a genetic question? Bella wouldn't be able to give him those answers._

 _For the briefest of moments she'd imagined how much easier it would have been if she could have put Edward's name there; if he'd been beside her, their baby boy in his arms and his name next to hers on the birth certificate._

 _Bella had shaken off the silly thoughts and told the registrar to put Paul Lucien's name on the line, because that was the right thing to do and she knew it, however much she didn't want to accept it._

" _Hey, there he is!"_

 _Bella's lips spread into a wide smile as she stepped out into the sunshine to cheers._

 _Charlie, Peter, Archie, Carl-Roman, Chase, Rosalie, and Marley were all gathered outside, right where she'd left them._

" _So, he's an official Swan now?" Charlie asked with a grin as he took sleeping Bodhi's carrier from Bella._

 _She smiled gratefully and nodded. "He sure is."_

" _Well," Charlie sighed, "how about we go and celebrate, then? The Dolphin?"_

 _Affirmatives rang out, so Charlie looped his free arm around Bella's shoulders as the group turned to head for The Dolphin Pub, just a short walk up the road from the town hall._

 _Later, when Bella tucked the certificate into the safe under the stairs at home, she couldn't pull her eyes away from Paul Lucien's name forever penned beside her own. Rosalie had asked, quietly, and away from prying eyes when she followed Bella to the bathroom to change Bodhi's nappy, what decision she had come to regarding Bodhi's birth certificate. They'd discussed the issue twice since he was born and both times, Bella hadn't been able to say what she'd do when the time came._

 _Bella hadn't been surprised when Rosalie gently asked what she would do if Paul ever returned and tried to lay claim to Bodhi._

 _The thought had crossed her mind many times at this point._

" _I…Well, I don't know. He's his biological father; I can't_ make _him let go of his rights, can I?"_

 _Rosalie shrugged sadly. "I honestly don't know, B. It's probably worth finding out, just in case, right?"_

 _Bella nodded, taking one last glance at Bodhi's name before quickly stowing the certificate and locking the safe with a resounding click._

 _As she'd climbed into bed that night, her baby son soundly sleeping in the Pack 'n Play beside her bed and Marley snoring softly across the room, Bella had been unable to push thoughts of Paul Lucien from her mind. He'd been a kind man; gentle and quiet. And when she'd drunkenly thrown herself at him in a misplaced show of faux maturity, he'd been nothing like his cruel brother. He'd been sweet to her, even when she'd all but run away from him right after and avoided him until he left the ranch._

 _She couldn't picture his reaction to her telling him they'd created a baby that night._

 _Bella rolled over, leaning across the small gap between her bed and Bodhi's to be able to see his face in the dim light of Marley's Paw Patrol nightlight. His lips were pursed, and his long eyelashes fanned over his chubby cheeks. The idea that Paul might fight for Bodhi petrified Bella. Bodhi was her world; him and his sister. The mere thought of losing him sent a flood of fear through her veins._

 _That wasn't even considering how seeing Paul Lucien would affect Bella. She'd come along in leaps and bounds, but would a familiar face from the ranch set her back? She wasn't sure, nor was she prepared to take that risk._

 **~ oOo ~**

 **August 12** **th** **, 2019**

The sun rose slowly over Eastbourne.

For Bella, the dawning day still came too soon.

She rocked her body gently side to side, her arms tightening reflexively around the small body against her chest with the sound of the opening bedroom door.

A soft whimper tore itself from her throat as she dragged her eyes from the sunrise and pressed her lips against Bodhi's curl-covered head. Quiet footsteps padded across the carpet, the bed dipping with new weight before a set of strong arms wound themselves around her and Bodhi, a warm chest at her back.

"I brought you a coffee," Edward whispered.

Bella didn't speak, but he didn't expect her to. They remained in silence; their bodies tense, hearts heavy, and eyes sore from crying.

"What are we going to do, Edward?" Bella eventually croaked against her baby's head.

She felt Edward sigh behind her, his arms squeezing just a bit tighter. "We're going to be sensible, _mi amore_. Mr. Tims – the lawyer I told you about – is coming this morning on a flight from Rome. He'll be here by lunchtime. We'll speak to him and work out what rights we…" he trailed off, his voice trembling. " _You have_. What rights _you_ have."

Bella's heart sank, new tears stinging her bloodshot eyes. "Edward…"

"No, it's okay. It's okay. We need to be real, _mi amore_. I don't have any rights to Bodhi. He's my boy in my heart and our heads, but biologically, he's…he's _his_."

Not for the first time, Bella thought back to that day when she registered Bodhi and chose to put Paul's name on the certificate. Thinking about that moment and how she'd considered putting Edward's name there made her ache. If she'd done that, the fear they were currently experiencing might not have been quite so acute.

But their calm would have been a lie because Bodhi was too old to be Edward's and Paul would know that if he thought about it. Nevermind the fact that it wasn't difficult to see the feature Bodhi had inherited from his biological father – his almond-shaped eyes.

She'd never wanted to consider Paul Lucien returning to lay claim to his son, but now…Bella wished she'd thought about it more. She wished she'd had the foresight to consult a lawyer to see where she would stand if he did find her.

But it was too late.

He was sleeping across town in a _Travelodge_ after leaving them with a promise that he'd be back today once everyone – namely, Bella – had calmed down.

Edward had scooped her from the floor, and she'd come back to herself as he tucked her into his lap on the sofa in the living room. By the time he'd soothed her panic attack, Paul was gone; but he'd promised he'd be back today to speak to Bella.

" _I'm sorry for intruding, Sir, but I need to speak with your daughter. I'll come back tomorrow. Goodnight."_

Bella had heard him through the fog of fear clouding her brain.

She knew he was right; knew he would want answers and need to speak with her.

However, that didn't make the situation any less painful.

A soft whine from the foot of the bed caught Bella and Edward's attention. They turned their heads in unison to face Sammy. He was laying at the end of the bed, his tail slowly wagging, his head cocked to one side. Just like Faith had to sleep with Marley, Sammy couldn't sleep without his little master, Bodhi, and Bella had been unable to let go of her son when he'd fallen asleep in her arms, so Sammy had to come with them.

She reached out with one hand to gently fondle one of his spotted ears before giving him a thumbs up – the sign for 'good boy.' He wagged his tail a little harder and crawled closer, resting his head on her knee. A tear rolled over Bella's cheek as she managed a small smile and pet Sammy's soft head. Those who said dogs didn't understand human emotion were completely wrong. It didn't matter who it was, Sammy always knew when his comfort was needed.

A short while later, the peace was shattered. Marley's footsteps in the hall were accompanied by Faith's before the pair joined Bella, Edward, Bodhi, and Sammy on the bed.

"Mamma, why are you sad?" Marley whispered, being careful not to wake her still sleeping brother.

Bella tried to plaster a smile on her face; it fell a little flat, but would have to do. "I'm not sad, baby girl. I'm just…"

"Mamma's tired, little sweet, that's all. We didn't sleep very well," Edward supplied gently, shifting to hold Marley on his lap.

She snuggled into his chest and eyed Bella with suspicion. "Really? That's all?"

"That's all," Edward affirmed, kissing her birds' nest bed-head. "Now…what do you think about pancakes for breakfast, huh?"

Talk of pancakes had Marley distracted enough to leave the room hand-in-hand with her daddy, her spotty dog at her side. Bella remained on the bed until Bodhi woke a short while later, the faint scent of pancakes cooking rousing him from sleep.

"Mamma?" he mumbled in confusion. "Why am I in h-here?"

Bella blinked back an unexpected rush of tears and hid her face by kissing his neck until he giggled. "I wanted cuddles from my favourite little boy, is that okay?"

"Y-yeah, M-Mamma, b-b-but s-stop tickling me!"

Ever in tune with his little master, Sammy leaped up higher on the bed to smother Bella and Bodhi in kisses, his tail whipping side-to-side a mile a minute. He loved to see his boy happy, just like Bella did.

"All right, all right, I'll stop, but you've got to give me lots of 'mooches."

"Deal!" Bodhi peppered kisses over Bella's face before announcing that he needed to go potty before flying from the room with Sammy hot on his heels.

As she watched them go, Bella fell back against the pillows and wiped tears from her face, wondering how she was ever going to get through the day if her son's giggle made her bawl like a baby.

 **~ oOo ~**

The day passed agonisingly quickly.

Bella's exhaustion from a lack of sleep made her cranky, while her worry over Paul's return made her weepy. This meant every time she snapped at the dogs for playing too rough near the children, told the kids off for bickering, or bit at Edward when he offered to take her coffee from her shaking hands before she burnt herself, she cried.

Each time she got mad at herself for never considering this eventuality, she cried.

And every time she glanced at the clock and another hour had elapsed, which meant Paul's arrival was drawing closer, she cried.

She'd expected it to drag by like the night had, but it sped by like a formula one race car and before Bella knew it, the lawyer had been and gone, and Esme and Carlisle arrived to take the children to their house. Everyone was of the agreement that they didn't need to be there for this meeting. Peter's house had been the first suggestion but Bella had suggested Esme and Carlisle's instead; close by, but not too close. The idea of Marley and Bodhi being just next door to Paul made Bella feel sick.

Emmett and Rosalie had come over for moral support, and to distract the children from the tense atmosphere, and Charlie loitered nearby in case he was needed.

"Ooh, can we play on the swings, Mimi?" Marley asked as Esme guided her arms into her pink cardigan with a forced laugh.

"Of course, sweetpea. We can play on the swings while PopPop makes us a lovely tea. How does that sound?"

Marley beamed, " _Perfetto!_ "

"Okay," Esme looked at Edward and Bella, "go say 'goodbye' to Mamma and Daddy, you two."

Bodhi scrambled down from a solemn Carlisle's arms, charging across the room beside his sister to slam into Bella's legs. She dropped to a crouch and hugged them both tight to her chest, blinking back an onslaught of tears.

"Are we havin' a s-sleepover at M-Mimi and PopPop's house?"

Bella bit her lip as Edward told Bodhi that yes, they were having a sleepover with Mimi and PopPop. She knew she'd be desperate to hold her babies after Paul left, but Bella was also well aware that she didn't know how her emotions would fare when she had to face Paul again. As much as she abhorred the idea of having the children stay away for the night, Bella hated the thought of frightening them if she wasn't in a good way later on. They were both so intuitive; they'd immediately know if she was upset when they returned from Esme and Carlisle's house. Their happiness was of the utmost importance to Bella, so she forced herself not to change her mind and insist they come home once Paul had left.

"We'll come get you in the morning, okay?" she promised instead.

"'Kay, Mamma." Bodhi pulled back, offering Bella his signature slow, sweet, dimpled smile. "Love you."

 _Oh, sweet boy._ "I love you, too, baby boy." Bella leaned in and kissed Bodhi's head before giving Marley the same treatment. "And I love _you_ , baby girl. Be good for Mimi and PopPop, both of you."

"We will," they chimed, moving to give their daddy ''mooches and hugs.'

As Carlisle led them to the hallway to pull on their shoes and called the dogs so he could put on their leashes, Esme hurried over to give Bella a tight hug. "We'll look after them, sweetheart. Don't worry about Marley and Bodhi at all, just take care of yourselves. We love you, _both of you_ , and we're just down the road if you need us."

"Thank you, Es," Bella croaked.

Watching Esme and Carlisle walking down the street with the children, the dogs at heel beside Carlisle, was heart-breaking, but with every step they took Bella's expression hardened. Edward watched with misery as his beautiful Bella became Scarlett once more – as she reverted back to her old ways and numbed herself from the inside-out for the upcoming meeting.

Nobody knew why Paul was here; why he'd suddenly turned up after all this time, or how he'd managed to track her down in the first place. Nobody knew if he was here to cause trouble or demand any kind of visitation or custody of Bodhi.

The entire situation was one big terrifying unknown.

The quiet hum of an engine coming down the road made Bella and Edward's heads swivel; there he was. Paul rolled to a stop outside the house in a shiny black _Mercedes._ He didn't get out right away, and he didn't seem to notice that he had eyes on him until he stepped onto the end of the path, glancing up and startling when he realised Bella and Edward were there, watching him.

They'd seen his moments of contemplation as he stared through the windshield. They'd seen his deep inhale as he prepared to open the door and disembark. And they'd seen the way he looked heavenward before he finally got out of the car to make his way toward the house.

Edward squeezed Bella's hand hard, his eyes darting down to her profile. Her brows were furrowed slightly, but apart from that, she looked rather blank-faced. She wasn't giving anything away. If it weren't for the fact that he could feel her heart racing thanks to their joined hands meaning their wrists were touching, Edward wouldn't have known how much inner turmoil Bella was experiencing.

As she watched Paul slowly walk up the path toward her, all Bella could think was how different he looked. Back when they'd been on the ranch together, he'd favoured worn, check shirts, ragged jeans, and his hair had been long – almost shoulder-length.

Today – and yesterday – he was clad in a sharp, fitted black suit with a navy tie, and his hair was neatly arranged in artful spikes. He was also clean-shaven and carrying a black leather messenger bag with a white-knuckled grip.

He looked nothing like the Paul Lucien she remembered; it was unnerving to see him looking so together when she felt anything but.

"Scarlett, I want—"

"It's 'Bella,'" she blurted. "I don't go by 'Scarlett' anymore. It's 'Bella.'"

Paul nodded, then cleared his throat. He was just a few feet away now. "Okay. Bella, I want to apologise for showing up yesterday without any warning. It was selfish and unfair of me."

Bella didn't want to say 'it's okay,' because it wasn't. Nothing about this was okay.

After a minute or two of awkward silence, Emmett gently tugged Edward back into the hallway by his shoulder, leading both he and Bella into the house before inviting Paul to follow. The group found themselves in the living room, where Charlie and Rosalie waited.

It was tense with both Charlie and Edward unable to stifle the glares they were sending Paul's way. Emmett was attempting to keep a barrier between all three men in case any of them moved toward the other. Rosalie sat stoically observing Bella's numb shell with sadness, as Bella herself looked wholly detached from the situation. Paul looked plain uncomfortable as he shifted in his shiny black shoes and cleared his throat.

"So, I'm—"

"Let's cut the shit, shall we? What the hell are you doing here?"

If the atmosphere had been uncomfortable before, it was downright unbearable after Charlie's outburst. He heaved a breath, thick arms crossed over his chest as he stared at Paul through narrowed eyes. It was obvious that seeing him, this man who'd taken advantage of Bella, was driving the protective father crazy. All night he'd stewed, wanting so badly to stop this from happening; wanting to be able to protect his daughter and grandbabies from this unknown threat to their happy lives. Knowing he couldn't, that there was nothing he could do, killed him.

Paul's teeth snapped together.

"Chuck, man, look—"

"No, Emmett. This guy doesn't get to just show up here and start demanding things without explaining just what the hell he wants!"

"I was just gonna suggest we move to the dining room, okay? We can sit, and Paul here can explain what's going on."

Charlie harrumphed and nodded his head toward the door; clearly, he wasn't taking his eyes off Paul, even if just to walk through to the other room.

Once everyone was sitting down around the dining table, Paul at one end, Bella and Edward at the other with Charlie, Emmett, and Rosalie at seats between them, Paul sighed and pulled a sheaf of papers from his messenger bag, laying them out on the table in front of him.

Emmett was closest, so he picked them up and skim-read the top sheet. "What's this? A newspaper article?"

His eyes caught the date as Paul replied, "Yes." Paul's eyes moved to Bella, "It's from August 12th, 2016."

 _The day after Bodhi was born._

"Read it out, Em," Edward gritted out through clenched teeth.

" _Escaped kidnap victim Isabella Swan yesterday gave birth to a baby boy in her hometown of Eastbourne, England. He joins big sister Marley, five, who was born during Swan's twelve years of torment at the hands of evil abductor…_ " Emmett trailed off, glancing toward his wife, then Bella. "I'm not gonna read anymore. You get the gist. It just talks about what happened and says that you had another baby, basically."

"So, you see, I read this, and I knew…I knew you had to have been pregnant when we…on the ranch." Paul stared down at his trembling hands on the table for a moment before looking back to Bella. "So, I knew you were in Eastbourne, but I still didn't know how to find you. I couldn't find you on social media or anything."

"Our profiles are all private," Emmett admitted.

Paul nodded. "I guess that makes sense. It's sort of what I figured." He exhaled a deep breath. "I came looking before, about two years ago. I managed to find a 'Swan' across town, but when I got there a lady answered the door, and I panicked. When I looked into it more, I realised it wasn't your house. I'd kind of given up a bit, but an old school friend of mine was out here for a holiday with his wife and kid last year and mentioned that he'd met you."

Emmett frowned. "It just happened to come up?"

"He knew I'd spent time on the ranch. Everyone I know is aware I was there. Cam ran into you and—"

" _Cam…_ Wait!" Bella narrowed her eyes at Paul. "Cameron? Is Cameron your friend? He's married to—"

"Izzy. Yes, that's them. They mentioned bumping into you because they know I met you, that's all. It didn't change anything because I already knew you were here in Eastbourne, but last week Izzy used my work computer to check her _Facebook_ while she waited for Cam and I to finish a meeting, and she left it logged on with her messages to you up on the screen."

The information swirled around the room like a mist.

Charlie was all but steaming with rage.

Edward wasn't much different; his jade eyes glowed, incandescent with anger and hatred.

Emmett was eyeing the two men carefully, his muscles tensed in case he needed to jump up.

Rosalie's face was drawn with confusion and sorrow.

And Bella…dawning horror marred her features as she thought back to the previous week. On Monday, she and Izzy had been talking.

" _Mamma! Faith pooped!" Bodhi yelled from the garden._

 _Bella laughed, peering over her laptop screen to see Bodhi's disgusted face pressed against the patio doors. He loved to play in the garden with the dogs, but their bowel movements were apparently 'gross.'_

" _I'll be right out, baby boy! Don't go near it, okay? And keep Marley away, too."_

"' _Kay, Mamma."_

 _Bella's eyes returned to her screen. She'd been talking to Izzy on and off all morning, between looking after the children and the dogs._

 _ **Izzy McAllister:**_ _Don't forget I need your address for Bodhi's card! His birthday is Sunday, right? Xxx_

 _ **Bella Swan:**_ _Yeah, Sunday. I can't believe he's three already! Our address is…_

Bella swallowed bile. She'd done this. Unknowingly, Bella had led Paul right to her family in sending Izzy her address. She hadn't thought anything of it, of course. It was almost a year since she, Edward, and Marley met Cameron, Izzy, and Milo at the ice cream shop on Marley's first day of school, and Bella had spoken to Izzy on a weekly or fortnightly basis ever since. They'd exchanged messages, pictures of the children, and spoken to one another by video calling numerous times. They'd become friends, so when Bella had mentioned Bodhi's birthday, and Izzy had subsequently asked for their address to send a card, it hadn't seemed like an outlandish request.

Thinking back now, Izzy had mentioned that she was at a friend's office waiting for Cameron to finish up a meeting, but she didn't say a name. Which was odd, considering Paul was now saying that they were well aware Paul knew her from the ranch, and vice versa.

"Why didn't Izzy tell me?"

Paul blinked. "Tell you what?"

"That she was with you." Bella's stomach churned, her skin crawling with suspicion and her analytical mind whirring. It didn't add up. "If Izzy and Cameron were aware you knew me and I knew you, like you just said, why didn't she mention she was with you when we were talking?"

Edward's fingers tightened around hers where they rested on his jiggling knee. He was itching to do something, _anything_. And this line of conversation wasn't helping.

Nor was the suddenly guilty look on Paul's face.

"I—uh…well," he trailed off, reaching up to adjust his tie.

" _Well?_ " Edward snapped.

"Izzy… _doesn't_ know," Paul sighed. "A lot of people know I went to the ranch, but a few don't. Izzy is one of the few. Cameron doesn't want to tell her because she likes you, and she really does think of you as a great friend. She's always saying how inspirational you are and how much she respects you."

He let that settle for a moment.

"So what you're saying, basically, is that you don't want her to think you're a prick for not realising what was going on?"

All eyes darted to Emmett.

He shrugged, but his eyes betrayed his guilty sadness when he glanced at his wife to his left. "I feel like a prick for not realising sooner. I think you're lying out your ass if you say you don't feel the same. And I think _that's_ why your buddy doesn't want to tell his wife; he doesn't want to make her think badly of you."

"I…well, I can't speak for him, obviously."

Emmett's lips ticked up on one side. "Obviously."

"How can we trust anything you say when you've lied already? You made out that everyone knew, now it's 'most people,'" Charlie pointed out succinctly.

Paul huffed, looking nervous and exhausted with pale grey bags beneath his eyes. "Look, I know I've gone about this all the wrong way. God knows, my parents and lawyer told me to do this very differently. I just…I wanted to know so badly…"

As he watched Paul's gaze find Bella's, Edward felt his racing heart speed up, his stomach tying itself in knots, because right there, within Paul's eyes was the one emotion Edward had been praying he wouldn't see. All night and all day, Edward had been desperate to see everything but this particular sentiment in Paul's face, in his expressions and his eyes, because that would mean it was okay. It would mean he would leave and they could get back to their happy family life.

But there, obvious and clear as day, it was.

Despite the nerves in his trembling hands as he clasped them on the table in front of him, and in spite of the tremor in his voice when he spoke, there was the tremulous kind of optimism in his eyes that Edward had desperately wished would be absent.

Hope.

"I did this all wrong, and for that I'm sorry, but Bella…I need to know. Is the baby—the _boy_ , is he my s-son?"

Bella opened her mouth. And closed it. Then she opened it again. Before snapping it shut tightly. Tears gathered on her lashes and spilled over her cheeks as she stared at Paul, two little letters resting on the tip of her tongue.

 _No_. Just two letters. One syllable. It would be so easy. But it would also be a lie, and Bella never wanted to be a liar. Not about this; not about something so pivotal and important.

However, she knew that, in a way, saying Bodhi was Paul's son _was_ a lie. In every way but biologically Bodhi was Edward's son. He was a mamma's boy through and through but it was Edward's smile he'd copied and Edward's hands he imitated when he tried to 'build stuff.' It was Edward who'd changed his nappies and Edward who'd taught him to crawl, then to walk. It was Edward whose face and hugs and kisses Bodhi wanted when he called 'Daddy' and Edward's love he sought when he wanted to wrestle or be flown around like an airplane.

And it was Edward whose heart shattered when Bella swallowed the lump in her throat and croaked, "Yes, he's your son."

 **~ oOo ~**

Edward slammed his fist into the brick wall and roared with anguish.

He hadn't expected the pain of hearing Bella tell Paul Bodhi was his. He hadn't expected to feel such a gut-wrenching sense of betrayal.

And yet, he knew she hadn't said it to hurt him. Bella had said it because it was the truth, however much it hurt to hear.

Knowing that didn't make Edward feel any better, though.

"Hey! Hey, Edward, careful or you'll hurt yourself."

Edward felt gentle hands on his shoulder and froze, hanging his head with his fist still pressed against the cool brick of Peter's house.

"Take a deep breath."

"I mean this in the kindest way possible…but go away, Rosalie," he gritted out.

Rosalie huffed a soft breath, forcing him to turn to face her. Crouching a little to peer up at his face, she managed a weak, sad smile. "Not gonna happen, I'm afraid. I promised Bella I would make sure you don't hurt yourself."

"She already took care of that." As soon as the words left his lips, making Rosalie's smile fall, Edward regretted them. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it." With a heavy breath aimed at his feet, Edward reminded himself that his fiancée was an honest, fair woman, and the plan had always been to tell the truth.

The lawyer he'd flown in from Italy had been stern but clear with his advice to be truthful unless they wanted lies to come back and bite them on the ass in the future. After all, if Paul were to press for a paternity test or put it to a lawyer, the lawyer would likely have enough evidence – the time frame and similarities between Bodhi's face and Paul's – to push for the test even if Bella initially said 'no.' If the courts thought there was a reasonable likelihood of Paul being the father they could force Bella into having Bodhi take a DNA test whether she wanted it to happen, or not; however, nobody wanted this to get nasty.

It would be unpleasant enough as it was.

The lawyer, Mr. Tims, had informed Bella, Edward, and Charlie – while Rosalie and Emmett watched the children in the garden – that their options were few. They could deny Paul's paternity and hope he didn't push the matter, which seemed unlikely considering he'd already travelled from America to be here, in England.

They could admit paternity and try to persuade him to give up his parental rights to Bodhi, and pray that he would leave quietly afterward. This also seemed unlikely for the same reasons as the first option.

Their last option was to admit paternity and allow Paul access to Bodhi, which was what they expected him to ask for.

Edward's skin crawled as he considered the possibility of having to share his boy with Paul Lucien.

 _Will he want Bodhi to call him 'Daddy?'_

" _Oh, God…_ " Bile rose in Edward's throat; images of Bodhi running to Paul and calling out _his_ moniker made him furious and heartbroken all at once.

"Take a deep breath, Edward. You're on the verge of having a panic attack."

Now that Rosalie mentioned it, Edward realised he felt shaky and breathless. His chest was heaving in harsh pants, but he still didn't feel as though he was getting enough air. Slowly, he sank down to the patio and rested his back against the wall. His head hit the brick with a painful thud; he ignored it, the pain in his heart altogether stronger.

"Listen to me, okay? He wanted to know, that's all. He's not pushing for anything right now, and he's not being nasty or making demands." Rosalie sucked in a deep breath and added, "Let's not panic until we need to, all right?"

Edward released a watery, without-humor chuckle as he met Rosalie's gaze through tear-filled eyes. "When did you get so sensible and wise on me?"

Rosalie's answering smile was sad as she sighed and sat beside him, resting her head on his arm. "I honestly don't know, Ed. This is all just so messed up. We talked about all this when Bodhi was born, you know? What could happen and what Bella would do."

Edward nodded; Bella had told him she'd contacted Riley and asked for advice. She'd also spoken to a solicitor and done heaps of research online. After Rosalie and Emmett's wedding, Edward spoke to Riley, too. He required no knowledge of Paul's whereabouts himself, but he wanted some reassurance that he wasn't going to appear out of nowhere one day down the line.

Obviously, it had happened anyway.

Which was why an irate phone call had been made to Riley's personal number late the previous evening, once Bella and Bodhi were upstairs out of earshot.

Edward hadn't told anyone, nor had he heard back from Riley yet.

"What the hell do I do, Rose? I mean... _shit._ As much as I want to kill that man in there for taking advantage of my girl, he's my baby's father. Every time I think of punching his stupid face, all I can see is my little boy."

Rosalie blinked back tears for her family and tried to think clearly. "I...well, I think we just need to wait and see what Paul says. He was always a kind man and pretty reasonable. Maybe he'll sign his rights away like Mr. Tims suggested."

"What if he doesn't? What if he insists on a DNA test? We all know what it's going to say - even he does," Edward's bruised heart thumped unevenly. "What if he insists on shared custody or something? Technically, he hasn't done anything wrong. Looking at him, he seems like he has money and a decent job. What's to stop a court from saying he gets to be Bodhi's dad from now on?"

Rosalie didn't know what to say to that.

Luckily, she was saved from having to respond by Bella's thin voice calling Edward from the doorway of her father's house.

Gritting his teeth against a tsunami of emotions, Edward called back, "Out here."

 _She didn't say it to hurt you, Cullen._

As soon as he saw her face, Edward felt like shit for being mad at Bella. She was hurting just as much as he was, if not more so. Her eyes were bloodshot, cheeks stained with sadness, and her hands wrung nervously in front of her stomach as she stepped out and made her way toward Edward and Rosalie.

With his eyes trained on her, he got to his feet, pulling Rosalie up with him.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked, drawing Bella into a tight hug.

"I'll be all right. I just need to…"

"Of course! I'll be right inside."

After Rosalie left, Bella and Edward stared at each other for a long while. It took Bella releasing a long, choked sob for Edward to put his hurt aside and dart over to catch her before her legs gave way.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I know it hurt you. I didn't mean to, I swear. But I...I couldn't lie, and I didn't know how to—"

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm fine. Don't worry about me, _mi amore._ " He squeezed her to his chest and buried his face in her hair. The faint scent of his shampoo lingered within the locks; she'd run out of her own the previous morning and used his instead. It had driven him crazy to smell himself on her.

Now it just made him sad to know that not even the things he'd thought were his belonged solely to him anymore.

"Has...has he gone?"

"Yes. He's gone to see his lawyer."

Edward inhaled a sharp breath.

"H-he says he wants to be amicable, but he also wants a DNA test done as soon as possible." Edward felt Bella shudder and tightened his grip around her. "He wants to meet Bodhi, Edward. I've put him off for now, but what are we going to do? Do we tell Bodhi who Paul is? And Marley…she's probably going to remember him."

As she spoke, Bella's voice became breathier and more panicked. Edward stroked a hand down over her hair and back, repeating the soothing motion until her breaths were more even. It helped calm and ground him, too. The cool air sent shivers rippling through their bodies.

"We'll deal with explanations when we get there, _mi amore_."

"Okay," Bella sighed, feeling the last of her energy draining from her body as Edward led her inside.

* * *

… **So, please don't kill me *hides behind hands***

 **If you've come from Pinky Promises, you'll know I'm not one for taking the easy route.**

 **That said – this won't be as bumpy as PP, but it will cover some hard topics.**

 **Massive 'thank yous' go to my wonderful dream team,** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding **for all their hard work and for putting up with me and my ramblings.**

 **Also, THANK YOU to each and every one of you for reviewing and sending me your thoughts! I think I got back to everyone, but if I missed you, I apologise. We had a bit of a dilemma (a pint of water over my laptop-ARGH) so I couldn't use it for a few days, and had a bit of a mad panic.**

 **Don't forget to check out the Pay It Forward blog, where** SunflowerFran **is featuring a rookie writer, a returning author with a new fic, and an old classic every month! If you want any help posting a new story and getting started, please feel free to message me or Fran for info and we'll be happy to help :)**


	3. Chapter Two

**First off, I need to apologise for abandoning you  
and the story for a couple weeks. We've had some  
awful news in the family, and the Big C is paying us  
a visit for the third time in as many years. Needless to  
say, I'm gutted and my mind has been so far from  
capable of concentrating on writing that there was  
just no way I was getting a chapter out.**

 **Luckily, I have the best readers and team in the  
** **entire world. I hope you'll understand why I've  
** **been awol and that you're excited to see a new  
chapter, FINALLY.**

 **Thank you all so, so much for your lovely reviews,  
but most of all, for trusting me! So many of you commented  
on how reasonable Paul is being so far, and I'll give you a  
spoiler - that probably won't change. I can't foresee this  
being anywhere near as dramatic or traumatic as PP, so hang  
tight and keep the faith.  
**

Nix69... **Your comment to have Riley 'get rid' honestly  
got a ridiculously loud laugh out of me when I read it!  
I can definitely imagine Edward and Charlie pressuring him  
to 'whack him' *teehee***

 **I'll do my very best to respond to  
each and every review but with radiotherapy treatments  
and helping out my family members, it's going to be tough.  
**

 **I've had this partially beta'd but** **even after it was  
tidied up I've tinkered massively so there may well be errors  
here which are all mine.**

 **All the familiar characters of course belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise; big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Two**

 _ **August 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019 – Two weeks later**_

For what was probably the first time in her life, Bella was sad to see the sun shining through the curtains when she woke up.

She inhaled a deep, shaky breath. Tears filled her eyes as she squeezed them shut and tipped her head back to face the ceiling. She felt sick to her stomach, but the day had barely started.

The sound of the bathroom door opening down the hall told Bella that someone was up already – Charlie, most likely. He'd always been an early riser, but all the recent stress had him getting up even earlier.

" _Pawpaw! You're up."_

Bella felt her stomach lurch.

" _Sure am, Mars. You, too, huh? Couldn't you sleep?"_

" _No. My tummy feels all funny."_

" _Oh."_

There was some shuffling around, then Marley shrieked a giggle.

" _Pawpaw!"_

" _What? I was just checking your tummy. Feels fine to me."_

" _But your moustache is tickling me!"_

" _Oh, I'm sorry. Hey, you wanna go get breakfast with me? We could go get pancakes and egg muffins before everyone else gets up."_

" _Ooh, yeah! But let's get Beesy, too. He should come with us."_

" _All right. You get dressed and I'll get Beesy."_

Bella sniffled, her lips curling up into a smile as she listened to Marley's feet padding back into her bedroom and her dad's heading toward his room down the hall. She turned her head on the pillow to face Edward. He was still sleeping.

Bella bit her lip as she trailed her fingertips over his forehead, brushing back a wild bronze lock before caressing his sharp, scruffy jaw; he still didn't stir. He'd foregone his six-weekly haircut last week, so his mop was longer and scruffier than usual. His facial hair was unrulier than he normally liked it, too. As she ran her fingers down to rest over his chest, Bella paused to let the soothing, rhythmic thrum below his tanned skin settle her racing pulse.

He really was a beautiful man.

His skin held a rich, natural tan and all the heavy lifting on building sites had smoothed his muscles into gorgeous definition. Bella's eyes danced over his pectorals, down to his toned stomach, hitching at the end of his gun shot scar peeking from beneath the edge of the covers. It was a faded light pink hue now, barely even visible unless you knew where to look.

A frown tugged Bella's brows inward; she was unable to stop herself from remembering the day it was put there to forever mark his body.

 _The laughter continued unabated until Bella couldn't bear it anymore. Only, she didn't get a chance to shriek at him to stop, to just do whatever he was going to do._

 _The breath she'd inhaled to do so was cut off by the sound of a trio of hard thumps, quickly followed by the thunderous boom of a trigger being pulled. Ears ringing, heart pounding, Bella forced open her eyes._

 _The sight they found was incomprehensible._

 _In the center of the circle of light were two large bodies. Garrett's torso, clad in a long-sleeved navy polo shirt, was slumped atop another. One that Bella was both horrified and relieved to see._

 _Edward._

 _Relief that he was alive was swiftly swallowed up by the horror of realizing he wasn't moving. Through the high-pitched, bell-like sound resonating in her ears, Bella just about heard herself screeching Edward's name in a desperate plea for him to come to her._

 _Her horror escalated tenfold when it was the other body that turned to face her. "No…" she whispered._

 _The gray-haired demon gazed at her, wide-eyed, as though disbelieving. Slowly and unsurely, he slid backward on his hands and knees until he was barely visible in the dim light. It was then, when she could only just make out his heavily shadowed features, that Bella turned her eyes back to Edward. She was aghast at what she found. Using one arm to slide his way closer, Edward was smearing a trail of dark red blood across the pale concrete floor, his face ashen, eyes half-lidded._

"Hey, stop it."

Bella sniffled, dashing a tear from her cheek as he eyes met Edward's. He looked worried as he propped himself up on one arm and cradled her face with his other hand.

"It doesn't hurt, _mi amore_. Most of the time I forget it's even there."

He lifted his arm and gently pulled her closer until she was snuggled against his warm chest, her face resting right over his heart, her arm looped over his waist and one of her legs wrapped around the back of his knees.

Edward hummed, kissing her hair. "I love you, Bella."

Bella sighed shakily. "I love you, Edward."

" _Shall we t-tell Mamma and D-Daddy?"_

A quiet giggle escaped Bella's lips at the sound of her sweet boy's voice in the hall.

"What's going on?" Edward mumbled.

"Shhh! Listen."

" _What do you think, Mars? Shall we tell your parents?"_

" _Nah. Let 'em sleep, Pawpaw. We can surprise them with breakfast and let them sleep in."_

"Ah," Edward sighed with a half-smile as Charlie, Marley, and Bodhi made their way down the stairs and out the front door. Not a minute later, a pink nose nudged its way into the slight gap between the door and doorframe.

Bella and Edward laughed quietly as Sammy padded in, stretching slightly to check if they'd spotted him before charging across the room and leaping onto the bed. He crawled up on his belly to nestle himself in the gap between their bodies, offering them both wet kisses then settling his head on the pillow.

"Make yourself comfy then, boy," Edward said sarcastically, twiddling the slightly longer tuft of fur by his left ear.

Bella shook her head. "We baby him too much, don't we?"

"Maybe a little," Edward admitted, the pair lapsing into silence.

A shroud of sadness cloaked the room, both of their minds moving to the inevitable.

Today was the day Paul would meet Bodhi.

The DNA test had confirmed that he was Bodhi's biological father, as expected, and nobody could think of any other reason to delay their meeting.

Well, that's not strictly true. Bella and Edward could think of a whole list; however, none of them were valid or would stand up against a lawyer if Paul chose to push the issue.

At this point, Bella and Edward had met with Paul several times since his unexpected arrival. They were as confident as they could be that he wasn't here for nefarious reasons and had come to a grudging understanding with him. He'd surprised everyone with his announcement that he'd put in for a transfer to the London office of his father's firm. Within days it had been granted, and by the end of the week he informed Bella that he'd rented an apartment on the outskirts of London so that he could travel down often to see Bodhi.

Bella and Edward had discussed it at length - between themselves as well as with their family and close friends. They'd proposed that Paul could visit one weekday and every other weekend to see how it worked and to give everyone time to adjust. They'd gotten this in writing with witnesses present, so that they'd both have proof if the other broke the agreement.

Paul had plainly shown his disappointment that he would only be seeing Bodhi one or two days a week, which had shown Bella that he was serious about wanting to see Bodhi. It had also reaffirmed Edward's worries for his place as his boy's daddy.

Though he was glad Paul wasn't interfering and showing up for the hell of it, it broke Edward's heart a little more each time he saw how excited Paul was to be a part of Bodhi's life.

He was just glad Paul had agreed to Bella's suggestion that they leave titles out of it.

" _So, August 26th. Is that still okay with you?"_

 _Paul nodded quickly, his gaze flitting between Bella and Edward. "Absolutely. Three p.m., right?"_

" _Yes. We'll meet you at the park. This is the address. We'll be by the playground, probably. One of us will call if we're somewhere else."_

" _Okay." Paul huffed a long breath, his eyes dancing down to the photo on the table in front of him. It was a recent one of Bodhi which had been taken for his passport, which needed replacing after it was mauled by one of the spotty puppies when Charlie left it out by accident after tidying up the safe. He wasn't smiling, but his dimple was peeking out of his cheek just enough to be noticeable._

 _Paul looked up at Edward, holding his stare despite the barely concealed glare he often wore when Paul was around._

" _I...this is a bit awkward, but I wanted to ask...what are we doing about, uh, titles? Who are we going to say I am?"_

 _Bella squeezed her fingers around Edward's, their joined hands resting on his knee under the table. They'd already discussed this. "Marley will probably remember you," Bella reminded him. "It'll confuse her if we tell her you're Bodhi's…Bodhi's father."_

 _There was visible disappointment on Paul's face, but he didn't argue. He simply nodded and stared down at Bodhi's passport photo._

" _We think it will be best, for now, if we just say you're a friend. They're used to going to the park and meeting up with friends so it won't be too different for them."_

 _Bella and Edward held their breath. They hoped he wouldn't press the idea of telling the children who he really was, but there was a chance he would, and the idea had their stomachs tied up in knots._

 _It felt like forever, but it was really only a minute before Paul huffed and conceded. "You're their mom. I don't want to cause either of them any harm or upset. Being a friend sounds fine,_ for now _."_

 **~ oOo ~**

By the time Charlie, Marley, and Bodhi returned from _McDonald's_ , Bella and Edward had showered together and dressed in their usual attire – a white t-shirt with a black leather pocket, dark wash skinny jeans, and a pair of worn _Converse_ for Bella, and a navy and white polo shirt paired with cargo shorts and his trusty _Timberland_ boots for Edward.

They were sitting at the breakfast bar hand in hand, silent but reasonably content, when the dogs flew through the patio doors, skidded across the kitchen, and barked all the way to the front door where they were met with squeals of delight from their beloved little human masters.

"Mamma, Daddy! You're awake!" Bodhi cried, wearing a toothy, dimpled grin as he clutched his dog's collar and let himself be dragged into the kitchen.

"We are, _tesoro_. And _you're_ up, too! Where've you been, huh? I woke up wanting cuddles from my boy and you weren't here!"

Bodhi looked abashed for a second, then Marley burst into the room with her arms full of brown paper bags and his guilt melted away, replaced by pride and a gleeful smile. "We g-got breakf-fast, Daddy!"

Edward chuckled, swooping Bodhi up onto his knee as Marley dumped the bags of food on Bella's lap and scrambled up onto the last empty bar stool. "Mamma, you get to dish out our food. Surprise!"

Bella's laugh was soft and content as she ran a hand over her daughter's head. "Thank you, baby girl. And thank _you_ , sweet boy. This was a very nice surprise."

Charlie appeared as Bella began serving the breakfasts – with help from Bodhi, who'd remembered everyone's favourites – followed by Faith, whose focus was intently trained on the egg McMuffin in his hand. "Good morning, Bells, Edward."

"Morning, Chuck."

"Morning, Dad. Thank you for taking the kids so they could treat us to breakfast," Bella chimed teasingly, shooting her giggling boy a wink.

"Ah it was nothin'. I had a hankering, and I figured you two could use a relaxed lay-in."

Bella sobered slightly before remembering herself and plastering a smile back on her face. "Right! Who wants milkshakes?"

"Me, Mamma!"

"Ooh, me please, Mamma!"

 **~ oOo ~**

After breakfast, once all the trash had been disposed of and the children's faces cleaned of syrup, they leashed up the dogs and ambled down the road to the field.

"Mamma, Beesy wants to go in the playground," Marley said succinctly as they pulled open the gate to the field. Bella smiled, having anticipated this.

Attached to the large, rectangle field was a small play area with swings, a roundabout, and a jungle gym. Every time the children came for walks with the dogs they wound up complaining that they wanted to play in the playground - usually Bella had to make some kind of deal with them to do two laps with the dogs before they could go play, because she couldn't have eyes on her mischievous pooches as well as the children.

"No, Mars! _Y-you_ want t-to!" Bodhi cried. "I wanna r-run with Sammy."

"I'll take her in there if you two want to walk round with Beesy?" Edward offered quietly.

Bella grinned, stretching up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips as they curled up into a smirk. "Thank you, handsome. We'll do a couple laps, then come back."

"That's okay, there's no rush. Take your time. _Ti amo, mi amore._ "

"I love you, too. Be good, Marley. Daddy's taking you into the playground while we walk."

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy! C'mon, you can push me on the swing."

As Marley darted into the small, fenced off area with Edward in pursuit, Bella unclipped the leads from the collars of her eager dogs. Sammy and Faith immediately shot away, frolicking through the grass with Bodhi running after them.

As Bella's eyes followed her son she couldn't stop a smile spreading across her face.

"So," Charlie began gruffly as they began walking, looking wholly uncomfortable when she tipped her head to look at him. "How're you doing? How're you feeling about today?"

"I'm...well, to be truthful? I'm petrified. There are so many things worrying me I can barely keep track."

"Well, let me help. That's what us dads are here for, Bells."

Ever grateful for her loving father, Bella sighed and briefly struggled with unloading all of her fears. But he was right and she knew it. How could she encourage her children to be open and honest about their emotions if she couldn't do it herself?

"I'm worried about Marley, most of all."

Charlie frowned, reaching up to rub his moustache. "Mars? Why?"

"She's smarter and has a better memory than any of us; there's no way she's not going to remember Paul from...from the ranch. I already discussed it with Irina and we've booked a session in for tomorrow, just in case, but I'm pretty much sure this is going to freak her out."

With a thoughtful hum, Charlie let his eyes swing over to the play area. Marley was utterly carefree at that moment; having her daddy's undivided attention was her favourite thing.

"Have you decided what you're doing about...you know, the brother?"

Bella wasn't surprised to see a scowl marring her dad's face when she pulled her gaze from Bodhi, Sammy, and Faith rolling on the ground. Though she'd made tentative peace with how Marley came to be, Charlie - ever the protective father - had not, and likely never would.

As for Marcus…

Nobody at the ranch had wanted to tell Paul about his brother's demise at the scary end of Smith's rifle, so he'd left the ranch none the wiser about Marcus' death. Still, to this day, he hadn't mentioned him to Bella or Emmett, so everyone assumed he was still in the dark. If it were a feasible option, Bella would have it remain that way, too.

"Mr. Tims recommends telling him soon. Paul has no legal claim to her whatsoever and he'll be seeing Bodhi anyway, so it shouldn't make a lot of difference, or so he says," Bella sighed. "He also asked about the likelihood of Paul's parents wanting to see her, or both of them I should say."

"Has Paul mentioned them, then?"

"Only in passing. Mr. Tims just said we should prepare for that and decide what we want to happen in case it does comes up."

"Mamma, look! Sammy's all muddy!"

Bella huffed, but she was smiling as she called out that it was okay; both dogs needed bathing anyway.

 **~ oOo ~**

Edward offered to bath Sammy and Faith when they got home. The kids volunteered to help, and he gratefully accepted. Bella frowned as she watched them leave the kitchen, a slight slump to Edward's shoulders.

She didn't have time to dwell on it before Rosalie announced herself at the front door, breezing into the kitchen with Emmett close behind her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, pulling Bella in for a hard hug.

Bella felt some of the tension leak from her body as she relaxed into her friend's embrace. She was always her harbour in the storm of emotions currently tearing her insides apart. "I'm...I'm okay, I think."

Rosalie's eyes were brimming with tears when she pulled back. "Sorry, sorry. I'm all over the place today." She sucked in a deep breath and lifted her shoulders. "Okay. What do you need us to do?"

Bella set Rosalie to work making up sandwiches for the children – nobody knew how long they'd be at the park and it wasn't worth risking their wrath by letting them get too hungry – while she and Emmett went outside to swap the car seats into the seven-seater. They'd decided that travelling together in one vehicle would be easier. Plus, not that she'd said it aloud, Bella suspected that Edward might be too emotional to drive, so it made sense for somebody else to.

Charlie had volunteered. He, along with Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward, would be accompanying Bella, Marley, and Bodhi to Hampden Park.

As he wrestled with the complicated straps of Bodhi's seat, Emmett looked across the car to Bella, removing Marley's with practised ease.

"What do you want me to do today, B?"

"What do you mean?" Bella raised her eyes to Emmett's solemn but kind smile.

"Do you want me to stick with Ed, or stay near the kids? I mean, I kinda trust Paul, but I didn't know…"

"I hadn't...Ummm, I hadn't thought about it too much."

But she did now. Bella pictured it, her babies running around, her eyes unable to watch both of them as well as Paul. And Edward...she had to protect him, too. From himself, mainly. She knew he'd been bottling his feelings up and Bella couldn't risk them exploding when they were at the park.

"Stick with Edward, please. Dad will be there to watch Marley and Bodhi. Rose too, and me obviously. But you're the only one who'd be strong enough to hold him if...if you needed to."

The thought of needing to hold Edward back for any reason made Bella's heart race. He'd been her rock from the second he pulled her from the burning motel room, so it was difficult to see him as the irrational part of the equation, but Bella just didn't know to what lengths he'd go to protect his babies if he thought he needed to.

And as she and Emmett moved to the other car to fit the seats, Bella's heart hurt with the knowledge that she'd hurt him by agreeing to this at all.

A little while later, when the dogs had been bathed and completed their victory lap of the house, rubbing their bodies along every rug or piece of soft furniture to dry themselves, Bella attempted to infuse her voice with excitement as she called the children down from their room.

They hesitated at the top of the stairs.

"Yes, Mamma?"

Bella plastered a fake smile on her face and prayed they'd believe it. "It's time to go to the park. We're going to meet a friend, remember?"

"Do we have to?" Marley asked sulkily as she trailed after Bodhi, who bombed down the stairs and hurried to pull on his shoes.

Stroking Marley's hair when she made it to the bottom step, Bella sighed. She wished she could say they didn't have to go; that they could stay home and forget all about Paul Lucien.

But the sound of her phone pinging in her pocket reminded Bella that she couldn't do that. The more she fought it, the more likely it was that Paul would be difficult and push the issue. Though it killed her to do this willingly, Bella was well aware that Paul had legal rights to see his child and he would absolutely use his lawyer to ensure those rights were honored. Paul had promised to text when he left the hotel where he was staying in Eastbourne; it was the text that had just reached her phone, no doubt.

"Come on, baby girl. Shoes on, please."

Marley sighed and did as she was told, leaving Bella to go and check everyone else was ready.

They were gathered in the kitchen; an anxious quartet of crossed arms, tense shoulders, and nervous faces.

It was Edward's that caught Bella's attention.

His brows were drawn inwards, his lips turned down in an uncharacteristic scowl. When she made her way over to loop her arms around his waist and peer up at his face, the hurt and worry in his jade eyes made her ache. It killed Bella to see him so sad, but what could she say? Like with Marley, she desperately wanted to forget this whole interlude in their happy lives, but they couldn't. Not without legal ramifications, anyway. Edward knew that just as well as she did.

However, it didn't make it any easier to see and feel him pulling away from her.

"Edward, I—"

"I'm ready, M-Mamma!" Bodhi declared as he skidded into the room, his bright grin falling slightly as he registered the solemn tint to the air. "Mamma?"

"Alrighty then! Shall we go?" Bella chimed with a smile and excitement she didn't feel.

"Yeah, let's go. C'mon ev-everyone!"

The group piled into the car in the driveway, only Bodhi's chatter breaking the silence.

Edward sat up front with Emmett, while Charlie and Rosalie took the seats way in the back – leaving Bella sandwiched between the car seats in the middle.

"Mamma, who-who we gonna see?"

Bella side-eyed Marley as she told Bodhi, "Paul, honey. We're going to see Paul."

Bodhi nodded, content, and shoved his thumb between his lips as he watched the familiar streets pass him by.

Marley showed no outward reaction to the name, but her blank expression didn't waver and her usual curiosity about anything and everything refused to show itself. Bella and the therapist, Irina, had discussed the different ways this might affect her and how she might react to seeing Paul again. Irina questioned her memory and offered the suggestion that Marley might have forgotten him or might not even recognise him as his appearance had changed a fair bit.

Bella, on the other hand, was almost sickeningly certain that her daughter would recognise him. Her memory was stellar. She wondered if Marley knew had already put it together, just from his name, but she hadn't said anything. Irina had recommended waiting to see how today's meeting went. They had a session booked for first thing tomorrow, just in case.

Bella reached out to rest a hand on Marley's knee, squeezing gently. Marley offered her a small smile before sighing and returning her gaze to the window. Not for the first time, Bella wished she could hear what her daughter was thinking.

The car rolled to a stop at the roundabout, a muttered ' _cazzo_ ' from the front seat drawing Bella's attention. From her position, she could only see Edward's profile, but she could read the tension in his clenched jaw and rigid posture.

"Oh sure, block the whole damn road up," Charlie muttered, his fingers beating a nervous rhythm on the steering wheel.

Bella sighed and leaned her head back against the headrest as the roundabout began moving again and Charlie pulled out, taking them ever closer to the park.

Fleetingly, Bella wished they'd chosen somewhere else for this meeting. They'd decided on Hampden Park purely for ease and because the children knew and liked it there. Now though...all she could wonder was _will they hate it now? Are we ruining it?_

A few minutes later, they turned slowly onto the road that ran through the park, Charlie using the speed bumps as an excuse to slow right down.

A wave of nausea rippled through Bella as they took the last curve, sliding into a parking spot, and it came into view through the windshield.

Paul's shiny _Mercedes_.

For the longest second, nobody moved.

"Mamma, I wanna get out," Bodhi whined, fidgeting in his seat.

"I know baby, we're getting out."

Everyone but the children was tense as they piled out of the car onto the pavement. The screeching of children in the play area made Bella's head hurt; the niggle of a headache began in her temple.

Bodhi grabbed her hand, tugging her toward the gate. Bella felt like she was underwater. Everything seemed foggy and distorted. She let herself be towed, her eyes raising at the gate to thank the man who'd opened it for them.

And there he was.

Staring straight down at the little boy who was so desperate to get to his favourite swings that he hadn't looked up yet.

"Mamma, c'mon," he urged.

Bella's eyes were on Paul's as they filled with tears, his chest expanding with a deep breath at the sound of Bodhi's voice.

"Bodhi…" she croaked.

Bodhi huffed and dragged his eyes away from the children running in the playground, frowning up at his mother.

Words wouldn't come. Bella couldn't find the words to say 'This is Paul,' or anything remotely similar. Her stomach lurched and her chest squeezed all the air from her lungs as Bodhi finally noticed the third person in their awkward little triangle formation.

"Oh. H-Hi."

Paul sank slowly into a crouch, visibly relying on the gate still in his hand for support as his legs shook underneath him. Bella's heart flew into her mouth, her eyes trained on her son's face. He frowned, now eye-level with Paul, and cocked his head to one side.

Paul sucked in an audible breath and looked the little boy in the eye.

Their identical, almond-shaped gazes met for the very first time.

* * *

 **Remember...hang tight. Have I let you down before? ;)**

 **Now, if you're into a swoonworthy Mobward and a feisty Bella, you absolutely NEED to check out** Sunshine1220's **Duplicity. Beyond amazing writing and I anxiously wait for each update, it's that good. It's angsty for sure but if you can ride it out, run on over there and let the wonderful Cheryl know I sent you. You won't regret it!**

 **Also... Don't forget to check out the Pay it Forward blog and Facebook group! A new writer, a golden classic, and a new story by a returning author will be featured there each month. It's the perfect opportunity to build a great support group and find a springboard to launch your new story. Every single soul there is beautiful and I wouldn't be where I am now without them, so definitely worth doing. If you get stuck, please contact me or** SunflowerFran **and we'll help get you set up.**


	4. Chapter Three

**Before anything else, I just want to thank everyone  
for your well-wishes for my family. It means a lot that  
you care 3**

 **All right, so I'm sorrow for the delay in with this chapter.  
Real life has been...difficult...to put it mildly, but I'll try get  
back on track for you guys. Thank you for all your sweet reviews,  
and I'm glad that, for the most part, you're all trusting me. I  
don't take that trust lightly.**

 **Also, BIG thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding **  
for dealing with me and my ramblings. I speed-write (mostly  
very late at night) and they go through and correct all my  
ridiculous mistakes. I'm eternally grateful for you both!**

 **If you want to see teasers and ssome of the picture prompts  
used for this story, please come find me on Facebook at  
CiaraShayee - Author.**

 **My good friend and pre-reader** annaharding **pointed out that I  
use a lot of British-isms *LOL* If you get stuck,  
please feel free to ask me or Google. I'll try to remember  
to put a key of sorts at the bottom, just in case.**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Three**

"Mamma? C-can we g-go play?"

Bella shivered. "Baby, this…this is Paul."

"Oh." Bodhi peered up at Paul, "Y-you're our fr-friend?"

Paul opened his mouth as if to speak, then snapped it shut and simply nodded. His free hand, the one not holding the gate, shook where it rested on his bended knee.

Bodhi's eyes danced back over to the jungle gym; it had always been his favourite piece of equipment at the park. "Are you g-gonna play with us?"

"If you want me to, I'd love to come and play."

Offering a silly smile, Bodhi let go of his mother and reached out, offering his small hand to Paul and showing none of his usual shyness around strangers. "C'mon, I'll sh-show you how I do the s-slide!"

All eyes were on Paul as he slowly accepted Bodhi's offered hand as Bodhi towed him toward the jungle gym without a glance back at his family. Paul looked to Bella; for help, reassurance, or permission to go, she wasn't sure which. She managed a weak nod.

As Bella's legs began to wobble, a warm, strong arm looped around her waist.

"It's okay, little Bell. I've got you," Emmett murmured.

Suddenly, Bella realized that she wasn't alone. She, Bodhi, and Paul weren't the only ones who'd come to the park today. Her head swung round, panicked eyes searching…

Marley was tucked into Rosalie's side, her face pinched and her eyes accusing as she stared straight back at her mother. "Mamma…why's _he_ here?"

Waving her over, Bella mustered enough strength to walk to the nearest bench. Charlie and Rosalie motioned toward the play area, Emmett and Edward wandering into the little wooded area beside the playground. There were enough eyes on Bodhi and Paul, so Bella focused all her attention on Marley as they straddled the bench seat facing one another.

Taking Marley's hands in hers, Bella leaned down to press their foreheads together. "Marley, baby girl, I…" She blew out a long breath. "Do you remember Paul, baby?"

Marley frowned. "Sure. He…he was in America with us. He worked with Uncle Em, right?"

"Right." Despite all of this – the confusion, the hurt, the trials and stress to come – Bella couldn't help but be proud of her girl. Just as she'd told Irina, Marley had a better memory and was smarter than any eight-year-old should be.

And she was dealing with this entire situation with far more decorum than Bella had any right to expect.

"Why's he here?"

"He's…he's our friend, baby." It killed her to say it. Pain tore through her veins as she forced the words out.

"Then why didn't he come before? If he's our friend."

A smile curled Bella's lips. Just a small one, but it was there. She pulled away, letting go of Marley's left hand to brush a lock of hair back from her daughter's face. _Too smart, baby girl. You're too smart._ "He's been busy. He's got a very important job back in America, but he wants to spend some time with us now."

Marley narrowed her eyes. It was almost funny, the way she unexpectedly and inexplicably resembled Esme at that moment. "Why, though?"

Bella and Edward had discussed what they'd say to Marley if and when Bodhi's paternity came up. They hadn't discussed what they'd say if she asked _why_ he was there in the first place.

"Well, he…Paul is our friend, so he wants to spend time with us. He likes coming to the park, so I asked if he wanted to come with us today."

Marley was suspicious; Bella could see it in her eyes.

"Baby, lots of our friends come to the park with us, right? Uncle Arch's girlfriend Poppy, Aunt Lissa, Aunt Ali and Uncle Jazz; lots of people."

"But they're aunts and uncles, too." Marley's gaze darted across the playground; Bella's followed. Bodhi and Paul were by the slide, the carefree little boy throwing himself full steam ahead down the big yellow slide, seemingly knowing that Paul would catch him at the bottom every time. Their laughter was audible even from twenty or so feet away, their smiles clearly visible.

A pang of pain settled in Bella's stomach as she realized… _they're the same. Their smiles are the same._

"Is Paul an uncle, Mamma?"

"No," Bella said quickly. The idea of Paul being 'uncle' to her babies made her feel sick and hit too close to home. After all, Paul _was_ Marley's uncle biologically. "No, baby girl. He's not an uncle. He's just—just a friend."

Emmett and Edward stepped back into the play area then, Edward's face dark and stormy until he noticed Marley and Bella looking his way. The scowl on his lips melted away and was replaced by a small smile.

"C'mere, little sweet," he called, crouching and holding his arms open to his daughter. Marley gave her mother one last suspicious look before clambering off the seat and running to her daddy, crashing into his arms with a giggle.

Bella watched them speaking quietly to each other with tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat. Even as he stood, Marley clinging to his hand as they walked toward the swings, Bella could see the pain in the way Edward carried himself; the way he pulled away further and further even though physically, he was right there.

"Push me, Daddy!" Marley's voice carried across the playground.

Edward did as he was told. His shoulders were hunched slightly, his usual joviality when he pushed his little sweet on the swings noticeably absent. There was no playful roaring or tickling when Marley came back within reach.

He just pushed. Over and over and over, with small, forced smiles when Marley looked back at him.

With every swing, Bella saw another little piece of Edward floating away.

Like dandelion seeds in the wind or clouds across the sky.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Here, Mamma! Don't wan'it."

"Are you sure?" Bella took the green gilet Bodhi thrust into her hands. "It's kinda cold, baby."

Bodhi shook his head, already running back to Paul waiting at the foot of the slide.

"I'm n-not cold, M-Mamma!" He yelled over his shoulder, throwing himself into Paul's arms and laughing with delight as he climbed the steps to the bigger slide – the one he couldn't go on by himself because he was too small to reach the bottom when he got there.

A twist of anxiety tugged at Bella's heart as her eyes automatically jumped to Edward. He was sitting on the grass a few feet away, legs outstretched, torso resting back against his extended arms. Bella's chest tightened as his fingers buried themselves in the ground and tore grass from the earth. His tortured expression when he tilted his head to face the mess of mud in his white-knuckled fist hit Bella like a sledgehammer to the gut.

Across the playground, Bodhi's muffled squeal of delight drew Bella's tear-filled gaze just as he popped out the end of the slide in Paul's arms, their laughter drawing smiles from other people nearby. Bella couldn't pull her eyes away from her boy as he dragged Paul by the hand back to the steps leading up to the slide.

"Again, P-Paul! Again!" Bodhi cried.

The clang of metal on metal scared the daylights out of Bella; she yelped, spinning to face the abrasive sound.

A tear tumbled over her cheek as she watched Edward march toward the lake on the other side of the road, disappearing around the hedge without a backward glance.

"Mamma," Marley whispered, crawling onto Bella's lap with a sad frown aimed at the spot where her daddy had vanished. "Where's Daddy going?"

"Oh, baby girl," Bella hugged her daughter hard, burying her face in Marley's hair. The sweet strawberries and cream smell of her shampoo was soothing. "He's…he's just gone for a little walk. He'll be back soon."

Marley pulled back, questioning and confused and heartbreakingly astute. "Is he upset 'cause Beesy's playing on the slide with Paul 'stead of Daddy?"

"I—"

"Hey, Mars? Could you go grab your brother, please? It's almost dinnertime," Charlie interjected when Bella cut herself off, not wanting to lie but not wanting to taint her already suspicious thoughts of Paul.

With a huff, Marley climbed down from her mother's lap. "Okay, Pawpaw. I'll be right back."

As soon as she turned her back, a rush of tears poured over Bella's cheeks.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Charlie knelt in front of Bella, pulling her against his chest and rubbing her back as she stifled her sobs in his shoulder. She didn't see, but Emmett and Rosalie quickly hurried across the playground toward Paul, Bodhi, and Marley to distract them.

"It's not, Dad. It's not okay," Bella cried. "How is this ever going to be okay?"

Charlie sighed, stroking a hand over his daughter's head and down her back, repeating the soothing motion over and over, until she was calm enough to pull back and suck in a steadying breath. "Baby girl, I know this is hard. And it's probably never going to be easy, but right now, it's still raw and new. It's shit, but it'll become normal eventually, and this will be part of our routines."

He cast a quick look over his shoulder; Emmett and Paul were pushing the kids on the roundabout while Rosalie took photos. His moustache was curled down in a grimace, his eyes shadowed slightly. For the first time, Bella really noticed the impact this entire situation was having on him, too. He looked exhausted and drawn.

"This whole thing is just…it's not what I wanted for you; for _any_ of you. Not you or my grandbabies, or even Edward. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna kick that boy's ass for thinking he can just stroll off. If he didn't think he could handle it, he shouldn't have come at all. But, Bella, baby girl," Charlie huffed, the corner of his lips kicking up just a bit, "I'm so damn proud of you. This is a huge deal, and you're doing so well at being strong for those little 'uns. Damn, you're the strongest person I know, Bells. I _know_ those kids are gonna be fine and I know, whatever happens, they'll come through it all even stronger, because they've got you as their mamma."

Despite her sadness, Edward's heartbreak, Paul's unwanted presence, and Marley's confusion, Bella mustered a smile. Charlie always knew exactly what to say to bolster her when her tenuous confidence as a parent wavered. "I love you, Dad. You're the best."

He made a gruff noise in the back of his throat when she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed hard, inhaling his familiar woodsy, _Joop_ aftershave smell. "I love you, too, Bells. Forever and ever, and don't you go forgettin' it."

 **~ oOo ~**

Edward didn't come home.

Not for hours. By the time Bella heard the click of the door opening, she'd fed and bathed the children and put them to bed with promises to send Daddy in when he got home.

" _Where's Daddy, Mamma? I need'a say 'night.'"_

 _Bella smoothed her hand over Bodhi's messy curls, leaning in to kiss his forehead and hide the sadness of her eyes._

" _He'll be home soon, baby boy. I'll send him in for smooches and hugs as soon as he gets here."_

 _Bodhi pouted, but his half-lidded eyes slipped closed as Bella moved to his sister's bed across the room and kissed her sleeping face._

That was almost an hour ago.

Charlie was upstairs in the shower, Emmett at home next door, and Rosalie had taken a seat beside Bella at the breakfast bar. They nursed coffees, both of them routinely glancing at the empty kitchen doorway.

Rosalie's head snapped up when she heard the sound of a key in the lock. "Do you want me to stay?"

Bella felt her stomach clench. "No, it's okay. Thank you, Ro."

Rosalie sighed and reached out to squeeze Bella's hand on the counter. "Call me if you need me, all right? I'm just next door."

"I will," Bella promised, knowing she wouldn't. She felt bad enough that Rosalie had given up her entire evening to help her distract the children from Edward's disappearance; it was nearing ten p.m. now, and she deserved to spend some time with her husband rather than her morose friend.

Rosalie passed Edward in the hallway. She couldn't help it; she scowled at him, his hunched shoulders curving further.

As he stepped into the doorway of the kitchen, bloodshot eyes finding Bella curled in on herself at the counter with a cold cup of coffee in front of her, Edward's dejection intensified.

 _What have I done?_

"The kids want you to go up and kiss them goodnight."

A shiver tore through Edward's frame. Her voice…

It was cold. Detached.

Exactly how he remembered it from those desolate days at the safe house in Montana right after her escape.

Her posture was achingly familiar, too. She was bowed over the counter, her hair loose and shielding her face from him. Edward didn't need to see her face to know that he'd messed up big time.

And this time, Edward knew he had no one to blame but himself.

"Bella, _mi amore_ -"

"Don't," she snapped. "The kids...they want you."

With a huff, Edward turned and trudged wearily up the stairs. The nightlight illuminated the way to Bodhi's bed. As Edward slowly slid to his knees and faced his sleeping boy, he felt a fissure open up in his chest.

It hurt to see Bodhi with Paul earlier. It was a physical pain and had driven him mad with jealousy and worry.

 _Will he like him better than me?_

 _Will he forget everything we've done together?_

 _Will he call him 'Daddy?'_

 _Will Bella want to be a 'real family' with her babies and their real relative? Bodhi's biological father and Marley's biological uncle?_

Looking at Bodhi now, curled around the cushion he'd received at Christmas from Esme and Carlisle, printed with an image of the four of them - Edward, Bella, Marley, and Bodhi - Edward wondered how he could have let such ridiculous thoughts take over.

Seeing Paul with Bodhi, Edward hadn't been able to see straight. Rage and hurt had clouded his judgement, and he'd allowed it to upset Bella.

At first, leaving the playground had seemed like a good idea.

Edward had done three laps of the lake before slumping onto the enormous roots of a tree at the edge of the water. He was hidden from the path, but he could see the entire expanse of water from there. Swans, ducks, moorhens...a heron; all the usual suspects were there.

Edward leaned back against the solid trunk, rolling his head to the side. The little sandy landing to his left, where most people came to feed the birds, was empty. But he could see it, the last time he brought Marley and Bodhi to feed the ducks fresh in his mind.

" _Ahhh! D-Daddy! The boose g-got the bread from m-my hand!" Bodhi squealed._

 _Marley laughed softly, handing her little brother a new slice of bread. "It's a_ goose _, silly Beesy; not a boose."_

" _Oh. The goose got m-my bread, M-Mars! It n-nibbled me!"_

 _Edward chuckled, tucking his phone back into his pocket after taking a few quick snaps of Bodhi's outraged face._

" _Well, Bees, you_ are _quite tasty."_

 _An elderly couple walking past at that moment smiled at Bodhi's wailed giggles and pleas for freedom as Edward swept him up into his arms and playfully nibbled his neck, cheeks, and arms; anywhere he could reach._

To think that Paul's arrival on the scene would eradicate memories like that one, like the hundreds of thousands of others, was ridiculous. Edward's emotions had gotten the better of him, and it had taken the sudden realisation that regardless of Paul's presence, Bodhi was Edward's boy; Edward's little Beesy.

Memories of waking up to Bodhi sleeping in his Moses basket beside his hospital bed were still so vivid in his mind.

 _It had been difficult relaying the events to the police, but it was a whole other kettle of fish explaining it all to Edward. She readied herself with a deep breath, and stroked his temple gently with her fingertips._

" _You came in and tackled him, I think. I opened my eyes, and you were on the floor after the…the gun went off. I couldn't tell at first, who it hit. Riley and the police were already on their way up because they'd realized you'd come in ahead of them. They got to you pretty quick after they heard the gunshot, but you lost a lot of blood. We almost lost_ you _."_

 _Edward absorbed her words with an odd look on his face, almost like he didn't believe her. He shifted a little, wincing at the pain in his side. Carefully, Bella lifted the blankets to show him the dressing, proving that she was telling the truth. Slowly, recognition sharpened his gaze._

" _And you…are_ you _okay? I remember…I remember them putting you in an ambulance, I think?"_

 _Without her permission, a smile spread across Bella's face. She squeezed his hand gently and nodded in Bodhi's direction. He frowned, tipping his head away from her slightly, though his eyes lingered on her face for as long as possible before swinging towards the sofa._

 _Bella saw the exact second he realized what, or_ who _, he was seeing._

" _Oh, God…" Edward breathed, sucking in a deep breath. He fidgeted a little, but Bella laid a hand on his chest and told him to wait a second. Once she'd used the buttons on the remote control to sit him up slightly, she moved around the bed and carefully removed Bodhi from his basket. He fussed for a few seconds, settling down in her arms as she perched on the edge of Edward's bed. He opened his sea-blue eyes wide, blinking long lashes at his mother._

 _She smiled down at him and smoothed a wayward curl. "Baby boy, this is Edward. He saved our lives."_

 _Edward was crying when she looked back up at him, but he shook his head when her expression betrayed her worry. "I'm okay, I'm okay. I just…I didn't know if I'd get to…"_

Memories of changing his nappies, rocking him back to sleep after a two-a.m. feed, teaching him to walk and to talk…none of those would be erased just because Paul had shown up.

"Dada?"

Edward smiled, cupping Bodhi's face as he blinked sleepily in the darkness. He was only 'Dada' when Bodhi was incredibly tired. "Yeah, _tesoro_. Daddy's here."

With a long, loud yawn, Bodhi shuffled himself around a bit until he was comfortable. He made a soft sound in the back of his throat, humming happily when Edward shifted and took his hand. "Where'd you go?"

"I—" Edward quietly cleared the lump from his throat, so he didn't wake Marley, and used his free hand to smooth Bodhi's messy curls away from his face. "I just went for a little walk, _tesoro mio_. I'm sorry for leaving you."

Bodhi's eyes slid shut. "Don't— _yawn—_ do it again, okay?"

"Okay, baby. I won't; I promise."

"Good. Love you, Dada."

As simple as that. A promise not to do it again, and he was forgiven.

Edward knew Bella wouldn't be as forgiving.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Four days later…**_

Squeals and laughter chased seagulls from the pebbles. The waves crashing against the shore sent up clouds of spray.

Bella sucked in a deep breath of salty sea air and let her eyes find her babies. They were running down the beach toward the long stretch of sand exposed by the ebbing tide. The oldest two, Marley and Carl-Roman, raced ahead while the younger ones tried desperately to keep up. Bodhi and Chase were first, followed by two- and three-year-olds, Callum and Chloe, who were the children of Archie's girlfriend. Faith and Sammy were hot on their heels, skidding all over the place on the unstable, shifting pebble-and-shells surface.

When Poppy called to ask Bella if she and the children wanted to join her, Archie, and their blended family of six at the beach, Bella had jumped at the chance. With Edward at work with Charlie and Emmett, Rosalie and Esme both busy with various things, the idea of sitting at home didn't appeal. So, she'd corralled the children and the Dalmatians and dressed them for a day at the beach – khaki cargo shorts, Hawaiian print shirt, a grey, flat peaked cap, and _Thomas the Tank Engine_ rain boots for Bodhi and a cornflour blue, ice-cream print jersey dress and teal sandals for Marley.

Oh, and Marley's new favourite accessory – a pair of oval, Hollywood, glamour-style black sunglasses.

The dogs were both wearing what Bella deemed their casual harnesses; the ones that would withstand numerous washes after being slathered in mud and drowned in dirty sea water. Both were _Ezydog_ , but Sammy's was red while Faith's was purple.

She'd swapped her running shorts and tank top for a maroon, off-the-shoulder, sunflower-print sundress and a pair of cheap flip-flops – the ones with Sammy's teeth marks around the heel.

Poppy had come to collect her after dropping Archie and the kids at the beach, and they'd met up at the foot of one of the paths leading down to the promenade from the road overlooking the ocean.

Despite her initial nerves when climbing into Poppy's car, Bella was glad she'd agreed to the day trip. Marley and Bodhi were having a whale of a time, and the fresh air was working wonders at clearing her foggy head.

It had taken four days to get over Paul's visit.

The day after his introduction to the children had been hard, long, and stressful. Marley's session with Irina was tense and uncomfortable, Marley's refusal to speak more than a few noncommittal words rendering the entire appointment pointless.

Bodhi was blissfully unaware of the turmoil ravaging his sister as well as the bond between his parents, but his innocent peppering of question after question about Paul and when he'd see him again wore everyone down.

The three days after followed a similar pattern, though Paul's novelty seemed to wear off slightly.

"Sis? Are you okay?"

"Yes! Yeah," Bella cleared her throat, forcing a small smile for her concerned brother. "I'm okay."

Archie looped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "You don't have to bullshi—"

"Mamma, look at Sammy!" Bodhi's yell interrupted Archie's cuss; he and Bella looked toward the children and Sammy, a chuckle bursting from between Archie's lips.

"Oh, shit. What's he got?"

Bella's stomach churned as she got closer, realising, "It's a fish."

"Mummy, it smells really bad."

"I know, Chloe," Poppy laughed, fishing through Callum's diaper bag. "Aha! Here we go. Use this, Arch."

The children cackled with delight and crowed with disgust as Archie held his forearm over his mouth and nose while using the plastic bag Poppy gave him to attempt to retrieve the fish head. Sammy wagged his tail and dropped into a play bow.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" Archie groaned from behind his arm. "Can someone tell him to leave it? I don't have the hands."

Bella quickly did the sign for 'leave it,' but she wasn't surprised when Sammy took off at a sprint along the water's edge instead, forcing Archie to chase him with the kids and Faith trailing behind like a row of ducks following their mama.

As Poppy linked her arm through Bella's, offering her a small comforting smile, Bella felt herself relax.

This may not be the relaxed morning at the beach she'd expected, but the chaos was definitely taking her mind off her other issues.

Namely, the fact that tomorrow she'd have to deal with the fallout all over again when he travelled down from London to visit.

* * *

 **GILET –** vest (like a padded coat with no sleeves

 **Okay, so...the Twilight Fanfiction Pays It Forward Facebook group and blog will be hosting one new writer, one new story from a returning author, and a golden classic EACH MONTH! It's an amazing opportunity for you to be heard, so please message me or** SunflowerFran **for help if that sounds like something you're interested in!**

 **Also...I've finally started to expand my Carlisle Uncovered Contest entry - Neapolitan is now posting once a week on Thursdays here on my profile, so check it out if that's your thing. I'll also be posting a short Christmas story soon, so keep your eyes peeled.**


	5. Chapter Four

**Hello again, campers! Officially less than two weeks  
until Christmas, and I haven't bought a single card or gift…  
EEEK! That said, I'm going to count this as a gift to all of you,  
so that sorta counts as a whole bunch, right? ;)**

 **Aaaanyway…a fair few of you are still hating on Paul,  
and I noticed some Bella-bashing in the reviews to the  
last chapter, too, so I thought I'd explain a little something…**

 **I'm of the thinking that every child should be able to  
know who their parents are. For Bella, leaving Paul  
off the birth certificate was a no-no because she was  
looking ahead to the future. If, God forbid, anything  
happened to her or for some medical reason they  
needed Paul's details, it was essential that they have  
some sort of record of his name. She** _ **could**_ **have left it  
blank, but that's not the sort of person she is. Bella  
prepares for every eventuality and that's what this  
decision was to her – being prepared.**

 **As for Paul being hit by a train, which I know would  
make some of you happy…I couldn't do that to little Bodhi.  
That said, there's nothing stopping him having an  
epiphany and leaving them be, so…yeah. I'll let that  
unfold in due course ;)**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Four**

 _ **Saturday, August 31**_ _ **st**_ _ **, 2019**_

The following morning, the mood in the house was sombre as Bella persuaded Bodhi to change out of his _Spiderman_ pyjamas and pull on a pair of cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and his flat peak cap. It took bribes of an ice cream at the park and the promise that they'd have his favourite meal, macaroni cheese with chorizo chunks, for dinner.

Marley flat-out refused to go. She threw the biggest screaming fit Bella had ever seen and wound up grounded in her bedroom when Edward stepped in, her tantrum way out of character but inexcusable.

By the time Bella climbed into the car beside Emmett at nine a.m., she was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

"Are you okay, little Bell?" Emmett asked quietly as they rolled out of the driveway.

Bella sighed. "I guess so." Her eyes moved to the rear-view, the smallest of smiles tugging her lips upward.

Esme and Carlisle had volunteered to come along, leaving Edward free to stay home with Marley to uphold her punishment. Marley's car-seat had been removed back at the house so Carlisle and Esme could fit in the middle seat with Bodhi. The trio were all pulling funny faces at one another, giggling away and at total odds with Bella's morose mood.

"Mamma look; PopPop's a m-monkey!"

Bella turned to face her boy, allowed her smile to widen when she followed his bright-eyed smile and found Carlisle holding his ears, puffing out his cheeks, and sticking out his tongue. "Oh, no! PopPop _has_ turned into a monkey! What are you going to do, baby?"

Bodhi giggled. "I dunno, M-Mamma!" His laughter tapered off, distraction coming in the form of their arrival at the park – and Paul leaning against the side of his shiny _Mercedes_ up ahead. "It's P-Paul, Mamma!"

"It is," Bella breathed, sucking in a deep breath and readying herself for two hours of pretending this entire situation wasn't splitting her in two. Of pretending that her heart wasn't breaking itself in two with one half here, with Bodhi, while the other fought its way back to protect Edward and Marley.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Man, he's got a tonne of energy," Paul laughed, collapsing onto the bench beside Bella.

She hummed softly, watching Emmett and Carlisle on either end of the see-saw, Bodhi calling for them to go faster from his favoured spot in the middle. "He doesn't stop. He came early and hasn't quit moving since."

An awkward silence blanketed the duo. During all their discussions about Bodhi, Bella hadn't ever gone into her pregnancy or Bodhi's entry into the world; nor had she mentioned the catalyst for his six-weeks-early arrival, although she was certain he'd read about it if he'd seen the news about his birthday. Not a single one of Bodhi's birthdays had gone without a mention, Smith's actions always included.

"I…will you tell me about it? Please?"

Bella sighed. Her mind jumped back, to a time when everything had been so uncertain.

To a time when she'd almost lost her own life, as well as Bodhi and Edward.

 _She didn't get a chance to shriek at him to stop, to just do whatever he was going to do._

 _The breath she'd inhaled to do so was cut off by the sound of a trio of hard thumps, quickly followed by the thunderous boom of a trigger being pulled. Ears ringing, heart pounding, Bella forced open her eyes._

 _The sight they found was incomprehensible._

 _In the center of the circle of light were two large bodies. Garrett's torso, clad in a long-sleeved navy polo shirt, was slumped atop another. One that Bella was both horrified and relieved to see._

 _Edward._

 _Relief that he was alive was swiftly swallowed up by the horror of realizing he wasn't moving. Through the high-pitched, bell-like sound resonating in her ears, Bella just about heard herself screeching Edward's name in a desperate plea for him to come to her._

 _Her horror escalated tenfold when it was the other body that turned to face her. "No…" she whispered._

 _The gray-haired demon gazed at her, wide-eyed, as though disbelieving. Slowly and unsurely, he slid backward on his hands and knees until he was barely visible in the dim light. It was then, when she could only just make out his heavily shadowed features, that Bella turned her eyes back to Edward. She was aghast at what she found. Using one arm to slide his way closer, Edward was smearing a trail of dark red blood across the pale concrete floor, his face ashen, eyes half-lidded._

" _No, Edward, stay there. D-don't move!" Fighting pointlessly against the cable ties, Bella sobbed, desperate, dismayed, and disturbed by this turn of events. Her cries only encouraged Edward. He finally flopped down beside her, resting his shaky head on her calf._

 _He choked something out, his breathing getting too shallow, voice too quiet to comprehend his words. He tried again, meeting her eyes. The light behind his grassy green irises was fading fast. "I s-saw your drawing," he murmured._

 _Bella hiccupped, her lips pulling up slightly at the crazy, crazy man. "Did you like it?"_

" _Yeah," Edward breathed._

" _Then it's yours."_

 _The feeling of warmth seeping into her leggings had torrents of salty tears streaming over Bella's cheeks as she tried to bend over her bump to see Edward's face up close. He heaved his head up, letting her rest her forehead against his sweat-dampened hair. "Tha-thanks. I'll put it…" He paused to inhale a gasp that made his entire body shudder. Licking his lips, he continued, "in the best frame I can find. Maybe the one little sweet made me."_

" _She'll love that. Pinky promise me? That you'll put it in a frame and keep it forever?" Bella whispered pleadingly, trying to keep him focused as his eyes dimmed, head lowering away from her reach._

" _P-pinky promise…" Just then, he let out a gut-wrenching groan, curling in on himself and clutching at the rapidly expanding circle of crimson on his white vest._

" _Edward! Don't you dare leave me!" Bella cried, tugging against her restraints even though there was no way she'd be able to break them. Looking around in desperation, she spotted Garrett. He was sitting in the exact same spot he had been a few minutes before, leaning back on his hands, staring at the crumpled heap of the man he'd shot. "Help him!" Bella pleaded, hissing at the pain in her abdomen._

 _It was getting worse. So, so much worse._

Bella sucked in a breath, remembering how she'd begged Smith to save Edward; she'd promised to do whatever he wanted if he'd just do something to help Edward. But he hadn't had time because an army of Riley's men had stormed the room, dragging Smith away and rushing both her and Edward into ambulances.

 _Everything became a blur._

 _Somebody cut her free._

 _A paramedic asked her a string of questions before she was loaded onto a gurney. As soon as they spotted the sticky stain on her thighs, they rushed into action. Bella's eyes remained on Edward until a team of paramedics descended upon his prostrate form, blocking him from view._

 _Whisked from the darkness, Bella found herself staring blankly at the ceiling overhead, then at the black sky once they made it outside. The stars seemed to swirl and blend together, the moon looming incandescently. As she was loaded into the ambulance the pain in her midsection became unbearable, Charlie's face crumpled with fear and awash with tears as she heard words like 'placental abruption' and 'hemorrhaging.'_

 _The last thing she remembered uttering was Edward's name as she felt cool hands on her overheated cheeks and the distant squeal of sirens lulling her into unconsciousness._

 _When she woke hours later, it would be with a deflated bump, and with one less heart beating in the world._

She hadn't known it then, because the police had kept it a secret even from Riley, but Smith was dead by the time she woke up without her sweet, innocent, desperately premature baby.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked—"

"No, it's okay," Bella murmured, her eyes finding Bodhi. Anxiety swept through her veins even though she could see him, alive, healthy, and happy. "He…he was early. Six weeks. Smith—"

Paul interrupted gently, "I know this part. The…the abduction. I read about it."

"The doctors told me it was the stress which sent me into premature labour."

"You mean, it was the same day?"

Bella's lips curled up into a wry, almost smile, though she found no humour in admitting, "The same _time._ I suffered an abruption – the placenta started detaching, basically – and I passed out at the…the warehouse." Even now, it sent shivers up her spine to think of that warehouse. Thankfully, it had been knocked down a year ago, so she no longer had to pass it whenever she wanted to go to the shops nearby.

"Jesus," Paul hissed, reaching up to adjust the collar of his V-neck jumper, like it was somehow restricting him.

"They had to operate as soon as I got to the hospital. If they hadn't delivered him as soon as they did, he might not have m-made it."

Paul and Bella sat in silence for a few moments, just watching Bodhi as he cheered with delight and leaped off the seesaw, running toward the slide with Carlisle and Emmett hot on his heels; Esme trailed behind them, her poised camera catching every precious grin and giggle. It was heartrending to think that he almost wasn't here; they'd almost lost him.

Nostalgia and grief at her baby's traumatic entrance into the world wound their way through her veins as she sucked in a breath.

"When I woke up, he was already a few hours old. I was the first to meet him though, out of the family. They waited for me." A genuine smile curved her lips upward. "He was so tiny. Four pounds, eleven ounces. But he was a fighter, right from the very first minute."

As she spoke, Bella pulled her purse from the _Paw Patrol_ rucksack at her feet, removing one of the small, square photos she kept in there and handing it to Paul. He blew out a long breath as he took in Bodhi's newborn form; his thin, bird-like arms and legs and the noticeable absence of the typical newborn chubby cheeks and belly.

"I can't even imagine how horrible this must have been for you, to go through all that and wake up to this. I mean…was he okay? Premature babies are often sick a lot, right?"

Pride brightened Bella's features as she turned to smile up at Paul; the first real, honest smile she'd given him. "He was perfect. A lot of preemies need incubators and ventilators, but he was in an open cot breathing for himself pretty much right away. We had no hiccups at all really, and he came home with us after two weeks. Hang on…"

She quickly skipped through a bunch of photos on her phone, pulling up the image of Charlie carrying Bodhi from the hospital in his car seat on discharge day. She'd taken it from behind her father just as they stepped out into the sunshine, his hair glinting gold in the light, Bodhi's sock-clad feet in the air, his eyes wide open to the new surroundings.

"Oh," Paul breathed, his gaze darting between the tiny baby in the photo and the lively three-year-old across the playground. "Two weeks…I bet you were going mad. And Edward."

A frown marred Bella's face as she looked down, wringing her hands in her lap. "Edward…was in hospital, too. He came to rescue me, and Smith sh-shot him."

"He _what?_ "

Once Bella recounted the tale, but in more detail and including the fact that she and Edward hadn't been together then, Paul hummed and went quiet. After a few minutes of silence, he stood and wandered over to where Bodhi was insisting Carlisle and Emmett squeeze themselves onto the triple-slide to race him down. Bella watched as Bodhi frowned and shook his head, glancing over at her before jumping down from the climbing frame and running across the asphalt.

"M-Mamma, P-Paul is going! T-tell him he's gotta st-stay!"

"Oh, baby, come here." Bella scooped her son into her lap, brushing a kiss to his forehead. He was getting better with his stutter, but it still emerged frequently when he was upset, tired, or over-excited. Judging by the stricken look on his sweet face when she cupped his cheeks, he was definitely upset. "Paul is busy, sweetheart. He can't stay at the park all day."

Bodhi pouted. "W-well, can he c-come over tomorrow?"

Paul, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme had joined them at the table by now; all eyes were on Bella as Paul shuffled his feet.

"Baby, I—" She snapped her mouth shut, shooting a look up at Paul when he cleared his throat softly and dropped into a crouch to be eye-level with Bodhi.

"Your mom is right, kiddo. I'm super busy tomorrow, otherwise, I'd love to come play with you again. But I'll see you next Wednesday, all right? You still want to go to the beach and show me the pier?"

Bodhi took a moment to consider his options. He finally seemed to realise that arguing wouldn't change their minds, not Bella's or Paul's, so he huffed and nodded. "'Kay. But y-you hafta get us donuts."

Paul grinned and reached out a closed fist. "You bet, kiddo. Donuts are on me."

Appeased, Bodhi was happy enough to say 'bye' to Paul and be loaded into the car ready to head home.

As Bella leaned back out of the car and closed the door, she turned to face Paul as he jogged up beside her, holding out the picture of Bodhi minutes after his birth. "Here; you forgot this."

Swallowing hard, Bella managed a weak smile. "No, I didn't forget. You can keep it. I have about a million copies, anyway."

Though she'd been trying to ignore it, Paul's happiness and gratefulness were written all over his face as he flashed her a grin and held the small, four-by-four-inch picture closer to his chest. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Like I said, I have so many copies it's unreal. Between Esme and Rose, I've got enough pictures of Bodhi to wallpaper the entire town."

Paul's eyes were warm and ever-so-slightly wet as he inhaled heavily and rocked back on his heels. "All right. Well, thanks. I appreciate it. I'll uh, I'll see you next week."

Opening the car door to climb in, Bella nodded. "I'll text you directions."

"Cool. Thanks, Bella. Bye, guys!"

Bella clambered into the car as Bodhi yelled 'bye' to Paul. "Indoor voice, please."

"Sorry, Mamma."

As they drove out of the park, heading for home, Bella couldn't help but stare at Bodhi's content smile in the side mirror. He was happy and a touch tired, if his slightly drooping eyelids were anything to go by.

"Man, I'm ready for a nap," Emmett chuckled softly.

Bella released a long sigh, leaning her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, the knowledge that this was now a weekly occurrence sucking all the life from her body. Paul had only had two visits, and she was already faltering.

"I know exactly what you mean," She finally whispered, praying this messy situation would get easier.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Monday, September 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **, 2019**_

"C'mon, little sweet! We're gonna be late!"

" _No, we're not, Daddy! We've got ten minutes!_ "

Edward growled softly, tickling Bodhi's neck with his five o'clock shadow until he giggled. "Why did we teach your sister to tell time?"

"I d-dunno, D-Daddy!" Bodhi chortled. "S-stop _ticklin'_ me!"

Bella called Sammy and Faith in from the garden, locking the door and swiping Marley's lunch bag from the counter. "Bodhi, please can you go get your sister and tell her if she doesn't hurry up, she's not going swimming later."

"Okay, Mamma!"

Bodhi wriggled down from Edward's arms, thundering up the stairs. "Mars, g-guess what!"

"You know he lives for tattling on her," Edward laughed, winding his arms around Bella's waist so she could snuggle into his chest, her head tucked under his chin.

"Yeah," Bella breathed, inhaling the comforting scent of the man she loved; clean and citrusy, like his body wash, but with a hint of wood and varnish, from his latest, top-secret project. But she _hates_ when he tells her what to do, so in about five seconds she'll come running down to complain…"

As if by magic, Marley thumped down the stairs followed by her brother.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes!" She grumbled, taking the lunch bag from her smiling mother as her dad shook his head and grinned.

"All right; let's load up!"

Because they planned to take the dogs for a walk right after dropping Marley at school, Sammy and Faith got to ride in the boot as they drove to Marley's first day of year four. They hung their spotted heads over the back of the seats, licking their little master and mistress until Bella called for them to sit and behave, making sure to do the sign for Sammy.

She twisted in her seat to face Marley, who was happily twirling one of her two pigtails around her finger.

"Are you excited, baby girl?"

Marley beamed. " _So_ excited, Mamma. I get to see all my friends again. And Miss Makenna!"

Bella laughed because her daughter had been ecstatic ever since they found out that her dance teacher was also going to be her class teacher this year. Miss Makenna was one of those teachers who children instinctively wanted to work hard for, and Marley hadn't stopped raving about her from the second she started dance classes just before the summer break.

"I'm sure she's excited to see you, too."

Marley cocked her head slightly with a mischief-filled grin. "Well, _duh._ I _am_ awesome."

"Amen to that, little sweet," Edward chuckled, swinging the car into the car park. It was already quite busy, but he managed to find a spot in the corner next to one of Marley's friends.

"Hey, Marley!" Bree cried, flying over to grab her friend in a hug.

Bella and Bree's mum, Sasha, laughed and shook their heads at the girls' dramatic reunion; they'd only seen each other a week ago for another friend's birthday party.

The sound of the warning bell had Edward walking around the car to say 'goodbye' to Marley with Bodhi at his side. He and Bella couldn't both go and leave the dogs alone in the car.

"I'll watch them," Sasha's husband offered with a shrug. I've got to watch Liam and Alec anyway."

Brent and Sasha's two-week-old twins were fast asleep in their seats in the back of the car, and with both being colicky and sleeping in fits and starts, they'd decided not to risk moving them to take them inside. Brent said his 'goodbyes' and 'good luck' to Bree at the car, promising to watch the dogs while Bella, Edward, and Bodhi walked the girls in with Sasha.

The three children ran ahead, only pausing when they reached the fork in the halls; left went to the year three rooms, while their new, year four room was the first on the right.

Marley briefly looked as though she'd tear up when she spotted last year's teacher welcoming the new little ones.

"Baby girl," Bella called softly, crouching in front of her daughter. Marley's lip trembled. "You remember how you weren't nervous at all last year?"

"Yeah, Mamma."

"Why are you nervous now? You know what to expect, you know your friends, and you love Miss Makenna."

"I'm not nervous. I just want to see Miss-"

"There you are! My little ballerinas!"

Miss Makenna's arrival in the hall couldn't have been timed better. She was a statuesque woman of around fifty, not that she looked it. Her dark blonde hair was curled back into a bun, her smiling face decorated with a spattering of laugh lines. She had kind brown eyes and a light, elegant gait as she moved to place a hand on Bree's and Marley's heads.

"I've got a special surprise for you two."

"Really?" Bree breathed, bouncing a little. "What is it?"

"Well, you'll have to come inside and find out, won't you?" Miss Makenna shot Bella and Sasha a knowing wink as the girls hurried to put their bags on their pegs and shove their lunch bags on the trolley before spinning back to say 'bye' to their parents.

"Bye, Mamma. Bye, Daddy. Love you," Marley rushed out, throwing her arms around Bella and Edward's necks when they crouched for obligatory hugs.

Bella laughed as she then pulled Bodhi in for a quick squeeze, kissing his curl-topped head before wagging a finger at him sternly. "Be good, Beesy. And make sure Mamma and Daddy behave, too."

"Yes, Ma'am," Bodhi affirmed, standing at attention and saluting his bossy older sister with a giggle.

It was an adorable sight; one that had other parents lingering in the halls laughing, and Bella and Edward sighing with adoration as Marley laughed and ruffled her little brother's hair before darting into the classroom, hand-in-hand with Bree.

"Well, there we go. They're officially in year four," Sasha sighed as they made their way back out to the cars, forgotten now that their girls knew they had a surprise waiting.

The knowledge that her baby girl was _eight_ , now in her second year of primary school and well on her way to being the smartest, brightest child Bella knew, tied her mother's stomach in knots. It was discombobulating to think of Marley as an eight-year-old at the best of times, but even worse to see her running into her classroom without a backward glance.

She wasn't a baby anymore, and in a lot of ways, it broke Bella's heart a little to see her so grown up. Of course, she knew Marley wouldn't stay her baby forever, just like Bodhi wouldn't, but it didn't make it any easier to watch the changes as they occurred, day by day.

It didn't make it any easier to witness that sweet, innocent little bundle of chubby cheeks and tufty chocolate hair turning into an independent, clever little girl with a mind and opinions of her own.

"You're okay; you've still got those two little ones over there. Plenty of time with them as babies yet," Edward teased, pointing toward Brent cradling one of the twins beside the car. As they got closer, Edward realised it was Liam, his shock of red hair making him easily identifiable beside his dark-haired twin.

Sasha sighed, her smile happy but tired. She and Brent had tried for two years to have another baby after Bree, and finally wound up using fertility treatment to fall pregnant. They'd been ecstatic to find out they were having one baby, then stunned and awed to discover that they were actually having two at their twelve-week ultrasound. The boys were loved very much, but it was obvious they were sapping Sasha and Brent of all their energy.

Their slightly droopy eyes and a multitude of empty coffee cups in the car were evidence of that.

"I love the boys to death, but I swear toddlerhood and sleeping through the night can't come soon enough. Bree was a blessing; she slept through from four weeks. These two…I'm lucky if I get four _minutes_ between one or the other waking, and then they wake the _other one_ up, as well."

Edward chuckled, looping an arm around Sasha's shoulders to give her a squeeze. "They'll grow out of it. Bodhi went through a colicky stage, didn't he, _mi amore_? It felt never-ending at the time, but now he's bigger, and I miss the sweet, snuggly baby stage."

Bodhi giggled and tugged his dad's jumper until he hauled him up onto his hip, releasing Sasha to take a squalling Liam from Brent. "Daddy says I was the cutest b-baby ever!"

"You were, _tesoro._ Absolutely adorable."

Sasha and Bella released twin sighs as Edward planted a loud kiss on Bodhi's cheek and then blew a raspberry in the same spot, his crooked grin present when he pulled back to listen to Bodhi's giggles.

"All right, let's get going. We've got babies to feed, and I think you have dogs to knacker out," Brent laughed, pointing at Sammy and Faith wiggling away in the car.

Bodhi was loaded up, Bella and Edward clambering into the car in front, then the group waved goodbye to their friends and headed out.

"Right, where are we going? Did you decide?"

Bella hummed. "Too cold for the beach, really. What about Abbots Wood? The spots can have a good run; Bodhi, too. And we can get some wood for the fire."

Edward shot her a grin and reached over to squeeze her knee. "Good shout, _mi amore_. Abbots Wood okay with you, _tesoro_?"

"Yeah, Daddy! Boots Wood!" Bodhi cheered, arms in the air.

 **~ oOo ~**

By the time they'd been at the woods fifteen minutes, Bodhi was tired and wanted to be carried. He'd run full pelt to keep up with the long-legged dogs and knackered himself out early on, so Edward scooped his boy into the air and settled him on his shoulders, hanging onto him with one hand and threading his fingers through Bella's with the other.

The air was cool and crisp, but it smelled fresh and clean. The vast expanse of trees meant the muddy paths were relatively free of wind, so it was the perfect temperature for the jeans and light jumper combination they'd all gone for that day.

Watching the dogs run ahead, tumbling through heaps of gold, red, and brown fallen leaves, Bella released a long sigh.

"You okay?"

Bella smiled up at Edward, his brows narrowed slightly. "I'm fine, just…relaxed. I like it out here. It's peaceful and calm."

Edward smiled as Bodhi patted his head. "I like it too, Mamma! S'lots of leaves to p-play in and room to-to run!"

"That's right, baby boy," Bella laughed. "There _are_ a lot of leaves. Shall we take some home to paint with later?"

Bodhi's eyes lit up as he bounced on his dad's shoulders. "Y-yeah! Good idea, Mamma! Daddy, let me down!"

He yelped as Edward quickly swung him down, blowing noisy raspberries on his belly when he twisted him upside-down before setting his _Timberlands_ on the ground. "D-Daddy! Don't _d-do_ that!" He admonished with a growl before tearing off to collect leaves.

Edward swung his arm around Bella's shoulders, kissing the side of her head as they walked. "If you could live anywhere on the planet, anywhere at all, would you want to live in the woods somewhere?"

Tilting her head, Bella considered it. She loved the sound of the leaves swishing, the stream bubbling along beside the path, and the fresh but earthy smell of the autumn in the forest. But to live there? Surrounded by darkness and creepy shadows…

"No, I don't think so. Somewhere secluded, yes. But the woods are a bit too spooky for me."

Edward chuckled, "Spooky?"

"Well, you know," Bella shrugged, "just a bit creepy. All the shadows and weird noises. It'd freak me out, especially if I was home alone or something."

"Yeah, that's fair," Edward conceded. "I think I'd want to live somewhere a bit secluded for the peace and quiet, but near enough to other people to still be sociable and not completely cut off from the world, you know? Somewhere like that place we looked at near Tonbridge Wells. Frant, wasn't it?"

Bella nodded, smiling at the thought of the pretty converted stables they'd talked about hiring for Christmas. It was a gorgeous building with three double bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, a large, open-plan kitchen and living area, and a huge garden. It was basically in the middle of nowhere with only a trio of neighbouring properties, the surrounding area made up of farmland and fields. "I need to broach it with Dad. I don't know how he'll feel about going away for Christmas. We've always been at home."

"I know, but I think we're almost getting to the point where we're overflowing now. Not just at Christmas, either."

"Look, can we not talk about this again? I know we need to think about what we're going to do, but Dad—"

"Will be fine, _mi amore._ " Edward tugged Bella to a standstill, facing her with his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles over her collarbones. "He's a grown man; he knows we won't live with him forever. He's probably expecting us to move out."

Anxiety wormed its way into Bella's stomach, twisting painfully. They'd discussed moving out several times in the past year or so, but the conversation always ended with Bella feeling terrible for even considering it. She hated the thought of her dad being alone again, rattling around his house like he had before she and Rosalie escaped. The notion didn't sit well with her at all.

"I understand what you're saying, Bella, I do. But Marley and Bodhi can't share a room forever, and we're spilling out of our room. We all need more space."

"Mamma, Daddy – look! I found a _huge_ leaf!"

Edward huffed and raked a hand through his hair as Bella twisted out of his hands and jogged over to Bodhi, taking advantage of the opportunity to avoid the subject. He wasn't trying to be mean on purpose, but he knew he was right; hell, he knew that _she_ knew he was right. She was just being stubborn and sensitive about it, which made sense considering the subject, but Edward didn't know what to do. The children were quickly out-growing their current arrangement and the house, though a decent size, just wasn't big enough to cope with three adults, two growing children, and two large dogs, plus the frequent family invasions.

Nevertheless, Bella wasn't going to discuss it just now, and Edward was still on thin ice after his behaviour at the park a couple of weeks ago, so he decided to leave it.

"Daddy, look!"

Plastering a smile on his face, Edward loped over to Bodhi and Bella, patting Sammy's head when he pranced right through the stream to investigate. "That's a great one, _tesoro_! C'mon then, let's get some more and keep going."

Edward's fake enthusiasm was as transparent as the clear water rushing beside them, but neither he nor Bella chose to mention it, instead burying their heads in the sand as they smiled and laughed with their boy.

* * *

 **A close RL friend of mine,** TJoan **, has just started posting her first fic -** Selfless Love **already has my head in knots trying to work out where it's going, so please head over, check it out, and let her know I sent you! It's worth it, I promise you xo**


	6. Chapter Five

***brushes dust bunnies away*  
Hello? Anybody still here? I'm sorry I've been an  
utter fail at posting! I had issues uploading, and then  
I got caught up with my Christmas story and the holidays,  
and then we've had a whole host of issues the likes of which  
I won't bore you with now.**

 **Big thank you to every one of you for reading and reviewing,  
and pimping this out! I've had a few new readers join in the  
last couple of weeks thanks to recc's.**

 **Gigantic thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for their hard work tidying this up! Without them, it would  
** **be a big heap of what my dad would call 'drivel.'**

 **I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and  
go on to have a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Five**

When Paul showed up and broke Edward's heart by insisting he have a relationship with Bodhi, Edward had wished he'd mess up and screw himself over – proving himself incapable of being any kind of role model, thus ending his relationship with Bodhi and lowering the chances of the young boy preferring him over Edward.

What Edward hadn't considered was his boy's feelings if and when Paul failed.

The first time this occurred to him was a week later, when he received a text from Bella to ask him to pick up a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream and some chocolate wafers on his way home from work.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream was the quickest, sure-fire way to cheer up Bodhi when he was upset or not feeling well.

He called her right back. "What's up with _tesoro_? Is he okay?"

Bella sighed, the sound laced with despair. _"Paul was a no-show. We waited for almost an hour, and when I called the number, his assistant said he's in meetings all day."_

Edward's first thought had been of smugness, because Paul had proven himself a fuck-up already.

Then he'd heard it; the tearful, hiccupping cries of his son.

" _It's okay, baby boy. We'll see him soon, okay? He must just be busy today, that's all."_

Anger and shame swirled through Edward's veins because, in his selfishness, he hadn't considered how it would affect Bodhi if Paul were a no-show. All his initial thoughts had been of how it would benefit him if Paul left their lives; hearing his son's sobs broke his heart because he'd wished this. He'd wished for Paul to mess up and prove himself worthless.

But who was it benefitting? Nobody; especially not sweet, innocent little Bodhi, who loved playing with his new friend and had been chattering about their playdate all the way to drop Marley at school that morning and over dinner the previous evening.

" _How's work?"_

Edward looked around at the wall he and Archie had spent the morning building. It was going to be the main structure for an extension, but they were well ahead of schedule and Edward anticipated having it all done at least two weeks earlier than planned.

"It's okay. We're ahead of schedule on Mrs. Morrison's extension."

" _That's great! Dad'll be pleased."_

"Yeah, we're pushing on. The initial complications that showed up in our assessment weren't as bad as we thought, so we've managed to really crack on with it."

"That my sis?" Archie bellowed, chuckling when Edward motioned for him to take off his headphones, so he didn't feel the need to shout. "Sorry," he called at a more reasonable decibel. "Is that Bells?"

Edward nodded, and Archie asked him to say 'hi' for him, so he did. "Your brother says 'hi.' I finally got him to wear the damn headphones, so I don't have to listen to his God-awful music anymore. He can't wear them when we're using some of the bigger machinery, but for small stuff they're okay."

Bella laughed quietly, the sound music to Edward's ears. _"You're a bit of a music snob, honey, I have to say. You two just don't like the same style of music, that's all._ "

Rolling his eyes, because Bella wasn't there to see and berate him for it, Edward leaned back against the skip and grumbled, "That's because he only likes shit music, and I have good taste."

" _All right, handsome, if you say so,"_ Bella said placatingly, then sighed. _"I'm gonna go. Our boy wants_ Finding Dory _and cheese on crackers. Be safe, okay? And say 'hi' to Arch for me, please."_

"Will do. _Ti amo, mi amore_."

" _I love you, too, Edward_."

Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Edward laid three more bricks before huffing and tossing down his trowel.

"What's up, man?" Archie tugged off his gloves and wandered over, using the opportunity to take a few long pulls from the bottle of water beside the radio.

Edward drew off his backwards hat to tug at his hair before putting it back on, fresh anger igniting in his gut. "Lucien was a no-show."

Archie grimaced. Bodhi's adoration of Paul hadn't gone unnoticed by his extended family, so Archie immediately knew his nephew would be upset by Paul's no-show. "How's the little guy doing?"

"Not good, apparently. You mind if I head off early? We're way ahead."

"Nah, man. Get going. Grab some treats for your boy and start your weekend early." Archie checked his watch. "It's almost school run time, anyway. If you call Esme before she goes to grab Mars, you could probably make it to the school and have some family time. Dad's at that job in Lewes, so you'll have the place to yourselves till late."

Edward had forgotten Charlie was out bidding on a new project, but the reminder buoyed him. Not because he disliked Charlie – he loved him to bits – but because it meant he could have uninterrupted time with his beloved and his babies.

Archie didn't have to tell him twice.

Edward scooped his gilet and water bottle from the floor, heading off with a called 'thank you.' He'd driven his own car today, after dropping Marley at school, so he didn't have to worry about leaving Archie with no way of getting home. As soon as he started the engine and set off toward Marley's school, he hit the display and selected 'Mimi' from the call list.

" _Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten. I'm just about to leave to collect your girl now."_

"Actually, Es, that's what I was calling about. I'm sorry to mess you around, but I've left work early, so I'm on my way to get her now."

" _Oh. Is everything okay? I honestly don't mind getting her, Edward. It's no bother."_

Edward sighed, "You know it was Paul's day to visit today? He didn't show up. I don't think he even called to say he wasn't coming."

Esme was a calm, collected woman and very rarely swore, but the litany she spewed shocked Edward. She took a big breath and composed herself, but her ire was still audible. It almost made Edward smile – to hear her fierce protectiveness. _"Are you kidding? Of course, you're not kidding, you wouldn't kid about this. God, that poor boy. All he could talk about yesterday was how excited he was to see him again. And he didn't even call?"_

"As far as I know. I just got a text asking me to pick up choc chip ice cream and wafers."

" _His cheer-me-up treat,"_ Esme breathed. _"He's really upset, then."_

"I could hear him crying when I called Bella," Edward admitted.

Esme swore again, making Edward chuckle softly. _"I'm sorry, but it's just not fair. And Bella must be going out of her mind. You just wait until I see him again."_

"I'll be sure to make sure you're there when he eventually shows up." Edward hesitated before voicing the question he'd been thinking on a loop since hearing that Paul had been a no-show. "Es, do you think…do you think he'll give up? I mean, if he's already acting this way when he's arranged to come see Bodhi?"

" _If you'd asked me ten minutes ago, I'd have said 'no way, he really seems to love that boy.' Now, though…I don't know how anyone could promise to see Bodhi and then do this."_

"Me either. It's just… _fuck_." He knew he was going to sound like a prick, but _fuck_ if he hadn't been thinking it ever since the day Paul showed up and he realised exactly who he was. How could he not have, when he'd seen those eyes, those features in miniature on the face of his son every day for three years?

"It's just that ever since that asshole showed up on our doorstep, I've wanted him to fuc— _mess_ up, so Bella tells him to get lost. I thought it'd make me feel really good to see him look bad, but now I just feel like shit, because it's my boy who's suffering because he can't see what he's missing."

" _I think that's understandable, honey. It must be hard for you to see them together, but you know that little boy loves you to death. Paul will never take that away from you."_

A surprised chuckle bubbled from between Edward's lips. "Yeah, I know you're right. It's just shit, knowing he's upset Bodhi."

He'd arrived at the school by then, managing to slide into a spot on the street just outside the playground entrance. "All right, Es, I'm at the school now. I'm going to grab little sweet and let her choose some snacks for a movie afternoon, I think."

" _That sounds perfect. Let me know if you need anything, okay? Carl and I have no plans today, so we're around if you need us."_

"Thanks, Es," Edward smiled. " _Ti amo_."

" _Love you, too, Edward. Give that baby a hug from me."_

"Will do."

When Edward made it to the doors leading out of Marley's classroom to the playground, he let out a long internal whine, trying to duck behind one of the climbing frames to hide from the man standing nearby.

"Eddie!"

 _Cazzo_.

"Hi, Will."

"How're you doing, man? Haven't seen you on pick-up duty for a while!"

Edward fought a smile and won; he'd deliberately avoided Will since the kids returned to school. "Bella does a lot of the pickups now, and I do the drop-offs when I'm not working."

Will laughed, edging closer. Ever since Bella had laughingly informed Edward that Will had called him a DILF one day, Edward didn't feel comfortable around the flamboyant man. Not because he was homophobic, but because Will had absolutely no spatial awareness and always insisted on being too close to him.

"I keep telling her we should go get a beer together one day. What do you reckon?"

 _Not a fucking chance._ Before Edward had to think of something to say, the school bell rang, and the door to Marley – and Jake's – classroom flew open.

Miss Makenna smiled brightly at the waiting parents, calling the names of the children whose mums, dads, carers, or childminders were there already. When Marley appeared in the doorway, she looked around in confusion, her gaze sweeping over Edward before rushing back. He grinned lopsidedly, his dimples popping as he saw the surprise light his little sweet's face. Her plaits were fluffy and loose, the collar of her polo shirt sticking up on one side and tucked into her jumper on the other, and Edward was fairly sure Bella hadn't sent her to school in her plimsoles that morning.

"Daddy!" She ran out to him, leaping into his outstretched arms and dropping her book bag and gym kit on the asphalt. "Why're you here? I thought Mimi was coming to get me today."

Edward chuckled, "I can always go and let Mimi come get you if you want?"

She pulled back with a wide grin, her eyes bright and happy. "No, silly!"

"I thought we could go pick some snacks and surprise Mamma and Beesy with a movie afternoon. What do you think? Good idea, or what?"

"Good idea!" Marley cheered, planting a smacking kiss on his stubbly cheek. "You're the best, Daddy."

"Don't you ever forget it, little sweet."

"Bye, Marley! See you tomorrow!"

Edward bit back a growl at Jake's over-enthusiastic smile as he bounded toward Marley like an overly eager puppy. His eyes almost bugged out of his head when she flushed, ducking her head and peeking at him, batting her lashes.

"Bye, Jake. Thank you for helping me in PE today."

Jake's smile widened as he shook his shaggy black hair and shrugged. "That's okay. I'm strong, so I didn't mind."

Feeling as though his head might explode, Edward stood and gently started steering his fire-engine red daughter toward the school gates. "Come on, little sweet. We need to get going."

"'Kay, Daddy." Marley skipped along beside her dad after scooping up her bags, humming a tune Edward recognised from her end-of-year-three performance. "What snacks are we getting for Mamma and Beesy, Daddy?"

"Hmmm, what do you think? Sweet or savoury?" Edward asked, grabbing Marley's free hand once they made the car park.

Marley frowned thoughtfully, looking left and right before telling Edward they could cross the street. "I think…savoury. 'Cause it's healthier, right?"

Edward shot her a proud grin. "Right. What about some cheese straws and dip? Mamma likes those, doesn't she? And Beesy likes them, too."

"I think that sounds _perfetto_ , Daddy-O," Marley giggled.

 **~ oOo ~**

When Edward and Marley eventually left the supermarket, they had three carrier bags full of treats for their movie afternoon – including cheese straws and dips.

Edward talked Marley into getting a pack of blueberry muffins from the bakery, and they'd also loaded up with pizzas and garlic bread for dinner as well as some _Fruit Shoots_ and root vegetable crisps – Bella's favourite – to eat while they watched films.

Even though he wanted to surprise Bella, and had purposefully not texted to tell her of his plan to leave work early and collect Marley, there was no surprising the dogs; Faith was at the living room window on the bay seat with Sammy close behind her as soon as she heard the rumble of the engine and he saw her dart to the window. He may not be able to hear the car arriving, but he could see his sister's excitement, so he knew there was _something_ going on.

"C'mon, Daddy! Hurry!"

"All right, all right," Edward chuckled, scooping the bags from the passenger side footwell before disembarking and moving around the car to let her out; child locks on the doors were a blessing, of that he was sure.

He knew the element of surprise was gone, but Edward still called "Surprise" as he and Marley let themselves in and poked their heads into the kitchen, where the sounds of the TV were emanating from. Bodhi was sitting on the small sofa rubbing Mr. Teddy's ear forlornly, but a smile lit his face when he saw his sister and daddy enter the room with the dogs winding around them with lolling tongues and waggy tails.

"Mars! Daddy!"

Bella smiled in confusion, drying her hands on a dishtowel over by the sink. "You're…really early."

"We figured we'd come home and spoil you with movies and snacks," Edward explained, holding up the bags filled with treats. "Is that okay?"

Bella's smile widened, her eyes soft and grateful as she watched Marley flop onto the sofa with her brother, her arm around his shoulders as she showed him the book she'd been given that day. Edward crossed the room, setting the bags on the breakfast bar on his way past, and drew Bella into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. He felt her shiver and relax into him, her arms tight around his waist as she breathed a shuddery exhale.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Knowing exactly what we needed, even though I didn't." She sighed, pulling back to cup his five o'clock-shadowed jaw in her small hand. "I love you."

Edward's lips curled up on one side, his emerald eyes sparkling as he gazed down at her lovingly. "I love _you_ , _mi amore_. And you don't need to thank me for doing what any good father and hubs would do."

Bella snickered, looking at her sparkling engagement ring against his cheek. He'd dubbed her 'wifey' long before he actually proposed, and he'd become 'hubs' when she couldn't help but tease him back. The nicknames had stuck. They had no plans to make the titles official though; no immediate ones, anyway. Neither of them were in any rush.

"Mamma, can we watch movies in our jammies?" Marley asked hopefully, her brother turning his eager eyes to his mamma.

"Y-yeah, Mamma. In our j-jammies!"

"How could you say 'no' to those faces?" Edward murmured, laughing softly as he and Bella turned to face their babies. The puppy-dog pouts were undeniable and irresistible.

"Of course, we can! Go on up and pick some out, we'll be right there."

Marley and Bodhi scampered up the stairs, their elephant-like footsteps followed by the stampeding spotted dogs. Bella shook her head wryly. "There's no point telling them to walk quietly up the stairs, is there?"

Edward chuckled, leaning in to Eskimo kiss her. "No, _mi amore_."

Bella couldn't resist kissing him properly, their lips melting together as though they were moulded and made to be locked. His breath was fresh and minty because he'd given up his intermittent smoking and kept packs of gum all over the place in case the craving randomly hit. Days like today, when his baby was hurting, and his love was sad, were the days when he felt the itch for nicotine the most.

"Shouldn't we be gettin' changed?" Bella mumbled against Edward's mouth a few minutes later, her legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck, tongue whispering along his full bottom lip.

"No," Edward nipped at her, drawing a delicious moan from the back of her throat.

" _Daddy! I c-can't reach m-my jammies!"_

Bodhi's yell from the top of the stairs made Edward groan. He reached up to slip his hand into the hair at the back of Bella's head, holding her to him for a deep, passionate kiss before he suddenly pulled back and stepped away from her, letting her legs fall from his waist to hit the cabinets she was sitting on with a thump.

"Dammit, woman," Edward panted, his hair wild from Bella's groping, eyes almost black with want. He pointed at her, flashing a devilish grin when she flushed and leaned forward to kiss the tip of his finger. " _Cazzo._ " He shook his head. "You'll be the death of me, you heathen."

Bella burst into laughter and slipped down from the countertop, stretching up onto her tiptoes to kiss his cheek before darting away from his grabby hands and trotting up the stairs.

"Come on, handsome. We've got jammies to put on and Disney movies to watch."

Edward tugged at his hair and looked down dejectedly at his uncomfortably tented jeans. "I'll be up in a few! I've got a…problem…to sort out first."

Despite the ache in his groin, which clearly wasn't going to get any attention anytime soon, and the knowledge that his son was less than his usual happy-go-lucky-self thanks to that jackass, Lucien, Edward couldn't help but grin when he heard the fit of giggles erupt from Bella as she made her way up the stairs. She had obviously just realised what predicament was keeping him from going up to see the children.

 **~ oOo ~**

When Charlie made it home from work, instead of having the dogs and grandchildren fly at him, he was met with a dark hallway. He frowned, setting down his bag and hanging up his jacket before heading for the living room door. It was pushed closed, but as it swung open, he realised why he hadn't had the usual wild greeting; everyone was asleep.

It was just shy of nine p.m., his meeting having run over and then the project manager insisting on taking him and Emmett for dinner to celebrate _DH Construction_ 's bid being accepted, but it was still surprising to see everyone fast asleep in the living room.

Edward and Bella were on the sofa with their legs twined together on the pouf. Sammy and Faith were sparko on the floor at their feet, the latter's head resting on the former's back. Charlie huffed a quiet chuckle; _she's brave to put her head so close to that gas fountain._ Moving quietly, so he didn't wake anyone, Charlie shuffled around to take a photo of the family on the sofas. Marley was nestled in Edward's free side, while Bodhi was asleep sprawled across Bella's chest. Charlie shook his head when he spotted Bodhi's thumb wedged firmly between his lips. _Once a thumb sucker, always a thumb sucker._

It was an absolutely adorable sight, but Charlie couldn't help but feel a touch guilty when he looked at the little family snuggled together.

He'd overheard Bella and Edward talking one evening a few weeks ago; talking about moving. He'd assumed they'd have gone by now, not that he wanted them to leave. He'd quite happily keep them close by for the rest of his life. However, he knew it wouldn't be fair for them to do that, though he'd refrained from asking why they hadn't gone yet in fear of making them feel pressured.

When he'd gotten home earlier than planned one night three weeks ago, he'd realised – or _overheard –_ their reasons for not leaving yet.

" _I get what you're saying, honey, but it's just not feasible right now! And plus, think of Dad. He'd be here on his own, you know?"_

 _Edward huffed. "_ Mi amore _, Charlie's—"_

" _A grown man; I know that. I'm not stupid. But he's been left here alone before. I don't know if I'm ready to do that to him again, especially not by choice."_

In the days and weeks since, Charlie had tried to bring up the subject numerous times, but he always chickened out. Whenever he thought about Bella, Edward, and the children leaving – even the dogs, which he'd also grown to love – he teared up, and his heart began to ache. The thought of rattling around the house alone was abhorrent. Like Bella said, he'd done it before.

The only difference was that this time, Bella and the children would be able to visit, and he'd be able to visit them. It wasn't the same, and he knew that.

It didn't make the prospect any easier to accept.

Looking at them now though, remnants of popcorn, an empty packet of cheese straws and a tub of half-demolished dips on the coffee table, their faces all content and relaxed in slumber, Charlie felt guilt hit him in the stomach like a wrecking ball. If he could just man up and let them go, they could have this all the time. They could relax and have their own space, their own little family home for their family.

But it would be without him, and he'd be sitting here, alone once again.

"Dad?"

Charlie glanced at Bella as she blinked herself awake, rubbing her eyes carefully without waking Bodhi. "Hey, Bells. I just got back. D'you want some help with these two?"

Bella glanced sideways at Edward, his lips open wide, snores escaping every other breath; she laughed silently, nodding. "Yes, please."

Somehow, they managed to carry the children up the stairs and get them tucked into their beds without waking either one of them or Edward. The dogs sleepily dawdled out into the garden for their before-bed wees as Bella tidied up their mess, smiling to herself as she replayed the afternoon for her dad, who was just as furious as Edward had been when he heard that Bodhi had been broken-hearted by Paul.

Once all the trash had been put in the bin, and the dogs had trooped back in and fallen into their beds in the living room, Bella and Charlie locked up the doors and met back in the hallway at the foot of the stairs.

"Are you okay? You look…thoughtful."

Charlie bit the inside of his cheek, wanting to mention the living arrangements but also, not wanting to. "I'm fine; just tired. Night, Bells. Sleep tight, okay?"

Bella smiled, her face such a perfect replica of Penelope's, but with Charlie's eyes that it made his heart clench. "Night, Dad. I love you."

"Love you, too, baby girl."

As he trudged upstairs, listening to Bella guiding Edward up a few minutes later with hushed whispers, Charlie felt like the biggest tool. He climbed into bed and cast a look at the photo of Penelope with Bella and Archie on the nightstand, promising her that he'd talk to Bella about her potential plans to move tomorrow.

 **~ oOo ~**

The following morning, Edward was first awake.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd missed something, or that a noise had woken him.

 _There._

Was that…the letterbox?

He climbed out of bed, mindful not to wake Bella or Bodhi – who'd snuck into their bed at some point in the night. Edward and Bella had both been glad that they'd pulled pyjamas on after making love when Bodhi's small silhouette appeared at the side of the bed just after two a.m.

After sliding his feet into his slipper boots and tugging on a hoodie from the foot of the bed, Edward pressed a gentle kiss to Bella's forehead and silently left the room. Bodhi and Marley's bedroom door was cracked, so he poked his head in to check it wasn't they who'd woken him.

They were both fast asleep – Marley buried under the covers while her brother was on top of them with the _Marshall_ duvet twisted around his legs, his beloved Mr. Teddy hanging over the side of the bed from his clenched fist.

 _Not them._ A pause at the top of the stairs revealed Charlie's muffled snores from his bedroom, so it wasn't him, either. Edward shrugged, heading downstairs quietly. Faith greeted him at the bottom, her happy tail wags making Edward smile as he kissed her head and followed her into the kitchen when she trotted away. Sammy was waiting patiently by the back door, but he gave Edward a toothy smile when he spotted him.

"Morning, buddy," Edward said softly, even though he couldn't hear him. He'd felt silly at first, talking to Sammy knowing he was deaf, but it had become habit now. He talked to their deaf boy just as much as their hearing girl, and it seemed perfectly normal.

While Sammy and Faith pottered around the garden to take care of business, Edward flicked on the kettle and leaned back against the counter. It was just barely seven, but he was wide awake. As he waited for the water to boil, he remembered the noise that had woken him; the letterbox. Deciding to tape it shut, to stop it rattling every time there was a strong breeze, Edward grabbed a roll of duct tape from the odds-and-ends drawer and padded out into the hall.

He was surprised to see a white envelope resting on the doormat.

It was five past seven in the morning – the post wasn't due until eleven, at the earliest. The dogs didn't tend to bark when mail arrived, but it was odd they hadn't brought it to him. Marley and Bodhi had spent weeks training them – with Bella's help – to fetch the post.

With a frown, he picked it up and turned it over. _Blank._ There was no name, address, or stamp on the plain envelope. "Weird," he mumbled, turning it around in his hands a few times before heading back to the kitchen with it. As he made a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter, the mysterious envelope seemed to scream _open me_ from its spot on the counter, where Edward had set it on his way back in.

Sammy trotted in, curling up in his bed and burying his nose under the blankets. Edward didn't blame him; the Indian summer the newscasters promised definitely hadn't arrived in chilly Eastbourne. It was freezing, a shiver rippling up his spine as he shook his head and tried to push the odd feeling from his gut every time his eyes found the envelope.

"Fuck it. Can't be anything majorly serious or it'd be addressed." The coffee swirled and spilled a little over the side of the _No.1 Daddy_ mug as Edward set it down with just a touch too much force, taking the handful of steps across toward the breakfast bar. The envelope seemed to loom large in his eyes as he picked it up and turned it over in his hands a few times before muttering, " _fuck it_ ," and removing the sheet of paper.

The messy, scratchy writing wasn't easy to read, but Edward could make out Bella's and Rosalie's names at the top – well, _Scarlett_ 's name. He blinked hard, rubbing his still-sleepy eyes before refocusing.

 _Dear Scarlett and Rosalie,_

 _My name is Remi Wilson. I don't suppose you'll recognize my name, but it's time you know who I am._

 _It's time you know what I did and how sorry I am for my part in it._

A horrible, heavy leaden feeling landed square in Edward's gut. He didn't like where this was headed.

 _I want you to know before you read on that I wasn't in a good place back then. I was addicted to several illegal substances as well as some legal ones. That doesn't absolve me of guilt, but I wanted you to know that I'd never have done it if I'd been of sound mind._

 _Scarlett, Rosalie, I'm sorry to tell you that I'm the other man responsible for kidnapping you._

Edward had been so distracted by what he was reading that he hadn't noticed the footsteps on the stairs or Bella's presence in the doorway until his shaking hands trembled so much that the letter floated to the floor with a photo Edward hadn't noticed was stuck to the back.

As it fell, Bella's eyes caught the photo, and a long-buried memory shoved its way to the surface.

 _Unbidden, the scents and sounds of that day washed over Scarlett and Rosalie. The pungent aroma of the rose garden Margaret Johnson of number three tended to mercilessly every morning. A brindle Staffordshire bullterrier barked throatily from the window of number two, her cataract-impaired vision allowing her only to see the blurred shapes of the girls meandering along arm-in-arm._

 _And then, the rumble of an engine behind them, an innocent sound to their unsuspecting ears._

 _The beady-eyed man at the wheel gestured for his passenger to get ready, scanning the road in his mirrors before pulling up and hopping from the van._

 _He and his companion, a tall guy with lank black hair and a sinister grin, crept up behind the girls, shared a quick glance, then pounced._

 _The smell of cigarette smoke on the black-haired man, his arm winding around Rosalie's middle while his left muffled her surprised screams._

 _Garrett Smith's sickeningly sweet aftershave wafting through the air. The coarse fabric of his jumper scratching at the skin that Scarlett's short-sleeved polo left bare…_

 _Within seconds, Scarlett and Rosalie were caged in the arms of the men while being carried, squirming and emitting muffled screams into hands clasped tightly over their mouths. In the struggle, Scarlett dropped her bag, the contents spilling out onto the pavement as she was shoved into the back of the vehicle with her friend._

She hadn't thought of the other man responsible for her abduction for a long time. Comments Smith had made led her to believe he was dead, and she'd never seen him again after that traumatic day, but only the one time seeing him was enough to have his face burned into her mind, whether she'd thought of it since or not.

He had a thin face; his eyes narrow and grey while his pupils were dilated from drug use. His jaw was sharp and his grin, creepy.

The small, four-by-four-inch photo fell slowly to the tiles, the brief glimpse of the face within recognizable even from a distance.

Bella's heart took off at a sprint as she was catapulted back to that time; the moment he'd dragged Rosalie, kicking and crying, to the van. She'd seen his face from the front for just a mere second, but without having to cross the room to take a closer look at the photo, Bella knew it was him.

She choked out Edward's name as the oxygen rushed from her lungs, her legs folding below her.

He darted over and slipped his hands under her arms just as her knees hit the tiles and her vision went black.

* * *

 **I know, I know. I skipped two updates then landed you with this, but I promise this will come good if you just have faith in me!**

 **HEA, remember? xo**


	7. Chapter Six

***tumbleweeds?* Hello? Anyone there?  
I'm sorry for the massive delay between chapters.  
All I can say without waffling for eleventy-billion years  
is that real life has been...hectic, to say the least.**

 **I'm back on track now and ready to get back into a routine  
with both this and Neapolitan. Thank you to any and all  
of you for sticking around and being patient with me. If any of  
you are also following Neapolitan, that posted just now.**

 **As always, lots of hugs and gratitude to** SunflowerFran **and  
her magical red pen! And squishy hugs and thank yous to  
**annaharding **for all your hard work, too! I wouldn't be able  
to do this without either of you.**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Six**

Riley grimaced when Edward finished reading him the letter for the third time.

" _And you say it was hand delivered?"_

Edward nodded grimly. "Yeah. No stamp or address. No name on it, even." He huffed and raked a hand through his already-messy hair. "The letterbox woke me this morning, and I found it when I got up."

" _Shit. Goddamnit, how did he manage to track you down?"_

"We're not hiding, Riley. We're probably not all that hard to find. I mean, with Chuck and Pete's business in their names, it's not implausible to think someone could use that to find us."

" _No, guess not."_ Riley sighed, leaning back in his leather chair.

He'd been Edward's first port of call, once Bella had woken from her faint and assured Edward she was okay. When Marley and Bodhi woke a few minutes later, then Charlie after another fifteen, Edward had put Bella and the children on the sofa under a blanket with pancakes and syrup, and left Charlie to keep a watchful eye, setting up the laptop on the kitchen counter to video call Riley. They'd been talking for almost an hour now, trying to work out what this Remi's game was, not only contacting Bella and Rosalie but also making the request he had.

" _I can't believe he wants to meet them. I mean…what the_ fuck _?"_

A growl rumbled in Edward's chest at the thought. Remi's closing paragraph had included a request to meet Scarlett and Rosalie; to 'apologise' and 'make things right.' Edward had sworn when he read the letter to Bella after she insisted on hearing it. The photo was now on the breakfast bar face-down. Edward shook his head, raking a hand through his hair for the millionth time so far that morning. It was almost weird now, to look back and realize that this guy knew Bella as 'Scarlett.' Remi had met her way back when she was a terrified little kid, far from the strong woman she'd become.

"It won't happen, Riley. Not on my fucking watch."

" _What does Bells say?"_ Riley's steely eyes softened at the mention of Bella. _"How's she doing?"_

"She's…quiet. So far, she hasn't really said anything. I read her the letter, but the kids got up right after. They're watching _Cars 2_ now with Chuck."

" _Do you think she'll want to? Meet him, I mean._ "

A rock settled itself firmly in the pit of Edward's gut at the thought of Bella _wanting_ to meet the asshole who'd helped Smith abduct her and Rosalie. "Honestly? I have no idea. She's surprised me with everything so far, so…"

" _Has Rose seen it yet?"_

"No." Edward explained that he'd texted Emmett to say he and Rosalie were needed over at the house, and Emmett had responded that they would get showered and dressed, then head over as soon as they were ready. Glancing at the clock, Edward said, "They'll probably be here any minute. Do you want to hang on to talk to them?"

" _No, it's fine. I've got a heap to do to try and work out what this jackass is up to. Tell them I said 'hi' and keep me posted, yeah?"_

"Of course. Thanks, Riley."

" _Don't thank me until I've sorted this."_ Riley's face disappeared from the screen as he ended the call; Edward sighed and leaned forward over the counter, resting his elbows on the granite and his face in his hands.

After yesterday morning's drama, with Paul's failed visit and then their wonderful family afternoon snuggled on the couch watching Disney movies, Edward had thought they might be able to go out for a nice breakfast at _The Beach Deck_ followed by a brisk walk along the seafront. Instead, he'd woken up to another helping of anxiety and panic attacks.

The front door clicked open, Rosalie calling out, "Hello!"

"Aunt Rosie!" Marley and Bodhi cheered, making it to the hall to greet Rosalie and Emmett just as Edward reached the doorway.

"Hey, sweethearts," Rosalie bent to kiss each of their heads, then gave the excited dogs the same treatment.

"We're watching _Cars 2_! Wanna w-watch with us?" Bodhi asked, bouncing on his slipper-clad feet.

"I'll come watch with you, buddy," Emmett offered, scooping both children up – one under each meaty arm. "C'mon, kids." He planted a kiss on Rosalie's head as he passed her, then shot an understanding half-smile Edward's way. He clearly got that whatever had happened wasn't good.

"What's going on, Edward? You're scaring me. Is Bella okay? The kids?" Rosalie rushed out as soon as she and Edward were in the kitchen, away from young ears. Her eyes were narrowed, and her brows furrowed as she wrung her hands in front of her stomach.

"Take a deep breath," Edward commanded gently, leading her over to the breakfast bar.

"Emmett's watching them. I want to know what's going on, too," Charlie said firmly, joining them.

Edward sucked in a long inhale, preparing himself for the inevitable emotional turmoil, and picked up the letter. "A letter was hand-delivered today…"

 **~ oOo ~**

As expected, the news of Remi's contact went down like a lead balloon.

Charlie was irate; his ire ignited by the never-ending torrent of past abusers returning to his baby girl's life.

Rosalie was shaken and tearful, though she handled it better than Edward dared to hope. She was surprisingly stoic as she read the letter and insisted on looking at the photo that had come with it.

He'd not only aged, but Remi looked sick. Not just ill-with-a-cold sick, but thin and grey with sallow cheeks and what looked like oxygen tubes going into his nose.

In the letter, he'd said it was time the girls knew who and how sorry he was; he hadn't mentioned being ill, but both Riley and Charlie suggested the possibility this was a latch-ditch attempt from his deathbed to repent for the sins of his past.

Edward was inclined to agree, looking at the state of him in the photograph.

"What do you think, Rose?" Charlie asked quietly, resting his hands on Rosalie's shoulders and giving her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"I don't know," she breathed heavily, looking over her shoulder at her uncle, for all intents and purposes. "This is so out of the blue. I mean, I honestly thought he must be dead. Riley's looked for him, and from what Bella says, S-Smith made out he died years ago. It's weird that he's suddenly contacting us now, right?"

"It's definitely weird," Edward agreed. "Riley says he'll look into it, try and track down this guy. In the meantime, he says to just ignore it. I gave him the email address and the post box address from the bottom of the letter, so he should be able to find him from one of those."

Rosalie sighed and set the photo down, unable to look at it any longer. His wrinkled face and jaundiced eyes stirred nausea in her stomach. "What does Bella think?"

Edward's stomach churned as he admitted, "I don't know. She wouldn't really talk about it, and then the kids awoke. Knowing her, she'll want to face it head-on once she's wrapped her mind around it."

With a nod and wary eyes, as though she'd suspected he'd say that, Rosalie agreed. "Yeah, I think you're right. She's always been like that, though. Tough and brave are her middle names."

"Hey," Edward reached out gently to tap her chin, "they're yours, too."

Rosalie's answering smile was weak. "Thanks, Edward. We both know Bella's really the tough one, though."

"That's not true at all."

Edward, Charlie, and Rosalie all twisted to face Bella in the doorway. She was frowning as she crossed the room to pull Rosalie into her arms for a tight hug. Charlie and Edward shared a loaded glance, both men stepping out to give the women a moment.

Bella pulled back, still clasping Rosalie's upper arms. Their eyes met, sea blue-green to soft baby blue, and Rosalie sagged a little.

There was no missing the glint of determination in Bella's gaze.

"You've already decided, haven't you?"

"I…I still have nightmares about it, Ro," Bella admitted whisper-softly. "I can't get it out of my head every time I close my eyes. Every time I see Paul, or Emmett says something in a certain way, or Marley asks about the horses, I'm thrown right back there."

With a gentle touch, Rosalie brushed the lone tear away from Bella's cheek as it tumbled down. "I didn't realise you were still having nightmares. Have you told—"

"Irina? Yes. She thinks it's a closure thing." Bella blew out a breath. "She thinks I haven't let go of it all because I haven't had proper closure."

It had been hard for Bella to hear that she was still damaged when Irina told her that the reason she was still struggling so much was because she hadn't been able to close off her past in her mind. It made a lot of sense because Bella _didn't_ feel as though she'd had closure.

Smith had been murdered and, in a way, had escaped justice. Bella was glad he no longer walked the Earth, but she hated that he'd had it so easy. He'd never have to live with the knowledge of what he'd done; he'd never have to deal with a jury pronouncing him guilty or a life sentence in prison.

Instead, Bella and Rosalie were living that life sentence for him.

" _Why_ , though? Why do you want to do this? He doesn't deserve our time! What right does he even have to disturb our lives after all this time?"

"I know he doesn't deserve our time, but don't you think we deserve to hear an apology? We'll never get one from…from _him_. Don't you want to hear _why_ he did it? I want to look that asshole in the eyes," Bella slapped her hand down on the photo on the counter, "and ask _why_ he thought he could wreck our lives. I want him to see us and realise how badly he messed up when he decided to help Smith that day."

Gazing at her best friend's face, set with determination with that familiar, steely tint to her stormy eyes, Rosalie knew there was no use trying to persuade Bella to change her mind. She'd decided to meet this man, if they managed to track him down, regardless of how anybody else felt about it. Rosalie knew, thanks to a lifetime of being best friends with Bella that once she'd made her mind up there was no changing it.

With a long sigh, she managed a shaky smile. Hope swam in Bella's ocean-like eyes. "You want me to come, too, don't you?" Before Bella could answer, she added, "I will, because we're a team, right? And I know you'd never leave me to do something like this alone."

"You will?" Bella asked with tears in her eyes.

"Of course! B, you've never once let me down or abandoned me when I needed you. Why would I do that to you?"

"It's just…you know, it's a lot to ask. But you're sure? If we find him, we'll go? Together?"

Even though she knew she'd regret it, and despite her entire being screaming out for her to say 'no,' Rosalie sucked in a breath and swallowed her nerves. "Yes. If we find him, I'll be right there with you."

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Tuesday, September 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019**_

" _N-no_ , Daddy!" Bodhi giggled, wriggling desperately.

"What, _tesoro_?" Edward grinned crookedly, hanging Bodhi upside-down in front of his face with his hands on his boy's waist.

"I'm up-upside-down! P-put me d-down!"

Bella smiled from her spot on the sofa, between Marley and Sammy. "Edward…"

He glanced sideways at her, picking up on the gentle warning in her tone.

"All right, all right. What're the magic words, _tesoro_?"

A rather red-faced Bodhi panted, "D-Daddy's the best!"

With a quick smooch to Bodhi's belly, Edward flipped his son over and let him land safely on the heap of cushions and blankets spread over the floor.

He let out a yelp as he hit the pillows, shooting his dad an accusing glare as he caught his breath and sat up. "D-Daddy, you don't fight _f-fair_."

"I'm sorry, _tesoro_. You're just so tasty," Edward growled, tugging Bodhi up onto his lap so he could playfully nibble his neck.

"Daddy! You're all _spiky!_ "

Bodhi was right – Edward had neglected to shave for the past two days. Everyone had been on tenterhooks waiting for word from Riley regarding Remi Wilson. So far, he hadn't managed to find anything. The post box listed at the bottom of the letter was registered to an old lady who lived in an assisted living facility in Georgia, while the email address was untraceable; apparently, it had been created in an internet café in Georgia. Riley was working on getting CCTV records to try and spot Remi, but progress was slow going.

Bella and Rosalie had eventually emerged from the kitchen after agreeing that they'd meet Remi if they ever managed to find him, and had to tell their nervous family the news.

It hadn't been received well.

 _Charlie was unsurprisingly vehement that they weren't stepping foot anywhere near anyone who'd had a hand in his baby's abduction. When he'd called Peter over from next-door, he'd been backed up; both men were in agreement that this Remi character was shady as hell and not somebody their daughters needed to meet._

 _Emmett voiced his concerns that it would bring back all kinds of horrible memories for Bella and Rosalie, but promised to support their decision, whatever it may be._

 _When all eyes turned to Edward for his opinion, Bella winced._

" _Hubs, I—"_

" _Don't, Bella," he huffed, scowling down at his clenched fists on the counter. "Do you even hear yourself?"_

 _She frowned, stepping closer. "Edward…"_

" _You don't realise what you're asking of everyone, do you? Look around – do you think we'll all be able to watch you go through this? Do you think we'll be able to handle watching you fall apart when you have to stand face-to-face with the man who helped steal you and Rose?"_

 _Hearing him say how he didn't think she could handle it stung. Bella snapped her teeth together, trying to ignore the hurt. "But, Edward, you don't get it."_

" _Explain it to me, then!" he snapped, gesturing around at Charlie, Peter, and Emmett – their faces displayed worry and confusion because they didn't get it, either. Not really. Emmett had promised to be supportive, but it was obvious he didn't understand why this was so important. "Explain it to all of us, because I'm not fucking getting it, Bella. Why exactly do you need to put yourself through that when we're all moving on with our lives?"_

 _With her hands on her hips and a quick glance toward the kitchen doorway to make sure the children hadn't followed them, Bella sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to know that man is out there, living his life without ever having to know what he's done? Without having to apologise? We'll never get that from…from Smith. But we could get answers from this…Remi Wilson. He could help explain what happened to me – to us."_

 _She turned her eyes on Rosalie, beseeching her to help._

" _Edward, she's right," Rosalie said softly. "Riley's always wondered what happened between us being picked up and getting to the ranch. This guy might be able to answer that. For Riley and for us. And he should apologise for what he's done," she paused, picking up the small photograph from the counter in front of her. "Especially as it looks like he doesn't have that much time left."_

 _There was a hum of agreement from Charlie standing beside her. Remi looked like he was on his last legs; or at least, getting there._

 _Edward let out a long groan, slumping against the counter with his head in his hands. Bella hesitated before moving over to him, resting her palms on his heated shoulder blades. Whenever he was angry or worked up, his temperature seemed to rocket, and now wasn't any different. He shivered slightly as she ran her hands down his back, stopping at his waist and letting her forehead bump his spine with a sigh._

" _I'm sorry. I don't want to make you angry or upset you. But I need to do this. If we find him, I need to speak to him. If you can't understand that…"_

" _I do," He grumbled, turning in her embrace. His eyes were dark jade and wary as he reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "I_ do _understand. I just don't like it."_

" _I don't like it either, Bells. It's too dangerous."_

" _Dad, look at him. He's not a well man. What danger could he possibly be?"_

 _Charlie frowned, shaking his head. "I don't mean dangerous in that way, baby girl. I know he can't hurt you,_ physically. _But up here," he tapped his temple. "I don't like the idea of what he could do to you, both of you, mentally. You're both doing so well."_

And so it had continued; all afternoon and evening they'd debated and discussed, with occasional bouts of yelling and crying. In the end, Bella had called Esme to take Marley and Bodhi for the night, and by the time they'd needed picking up from school and afterwards, Esme and Carlisle's the following day, she'd extracted promises from everyone that they wouldn't talk about it in front of the children, and nobody would make any rash decisions until Riley contacted them with Remi's whereabouts. Until they knew if they could find him, there was no use worrying anymore.

Now, two days on, Marley had a day off school thanks to a boiler malfunction, so Bella and Edward had decided to spoil their babies with a duvet day. Charlie was golfing with Paul and some other buddies, so they had the place to themselves. Edward had loaded the children into the car to get snacks from the store after a lazy morning including pancakes, an entire bottle of syrup, and sugary sweet pyjamas, while Bella had gotten to work piling blankets and cushions on the floor and sofa in the living room. By the time Edward, Marley, and Bodhi returned, she'd also walked the dogs and set out a bunch of movies to choose from.

Mostly Disney, of course, because her babies loved nothing more than snuggling with their parents and spotted dogs while watching their favourite cartoons.

Bodhi had chosen first – _Paw Patrol_ , naturally.

Once they'd watched Rubble, Skye, Chase, Marshall, Rocky, and Zuma save the day, they'd had a brief wrestling match which had ended with Bodhi dangling upside-down from his daddy's strong, capable hands.

"'Kay, it's my turn to choose a movie now! Right?"

"Right, sweet girl," Bella agreed, tugging gently on one of Marley's plaits. "Let me guess… _Moana?_ "

Marley grinned, flashing two rows of pearly white baby teeth. "Yes!"

Despite newer films being released since _Moana_ in 2017, it was still one of Marley's top three – often rotating with _Trolls_ and the live action version of _Beauty and The Beast_ for the number one spot.

"Aw, man…" All eyes flashed to Edward as he whined.

"Daddy…" Marley said warningly. "It's my _turn_."

"I know, I know, little sweet," he grumbled. "We've seen it a billion times."

Marley crossed her arms and cocked her head, every bit her mamma's clone at that moment. "Mimi says you shouldn't 'zaggerate, Daddy."

Bella snorted, earning herself a crooked half-smile from Edward and a giggle from her baby boy as he scrambled off Edward's lap and climbed into hers. "Yeah, _Daddy_. No exaggerating."

"All right, all right." With a dramatic huff, Edward unfolded himself from the sofa and crossed to the TV to load Marley's pick into the DVD player. "But after this, it's _my turn_ ," he thumbed his chest with a wicked grin, "and I'm picking something _really boring_ , like a documentary or somethin'."

Marley and Bodhi shared mischief-filled glances, giggling behind their hands when Bella whispered in their ears quietly enough so that Edward couldn't hear.

He raised his eyebrows and smiled that achingly familiar, slightly-crinkly-nosed, crooked smirk Bella had first fallen in love with. "Are you sharing secrets without me, Wifey?"

"No!" Bella squeaked, seeing the intent in his eyes before he even took a step in her direction.

"I think Mamma's lying," Edward sang gleefully, his eyes sparkling like freshly cut emeralds when the children erupted into nervous giggles and scrambled away from her. "Bella, _mi amore_ , are you lying to me?"

"No, Edward! I swear!"

Edward waggled his eyebrows as he shot the children a wink, creeping closer to the sofa. "Little sweet, _tesoro_ , what's the punishment for telling Daddy porky pies?"

Marley clapped her hands over her mouth, but Bodhi couldn't contain himself. The suspense was too much.

"T-ticklin', Daddy!" he cried, eyes widening when Bella squeaked and pointed at him.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you for that, baby boy!"

"S-sorry, Mamma!" Bodhi giggled, not looking the least bit sorry as Edward finally reached Bella and crawled up the longer section of the sofa on all-fours until he'd caged her into the corner.

Bella's eyes were wide and pleading as she pushed his shoulders, trying to use her feet as leverage on his thighs. "Edward, _please—"_

"Ah, ah, _mi amore_ ," Edward teased, his wicked jade eyes and the feel of his body over hers eliciting more than just pretend fear as he ghosted his fingertips over the outsides of her thighs, her hips, then her waist, where he tickled lightly just to prolong the torture. "You know the punishment for not sharing secrets."

Without further ado, he dug his fingers in harder and tickled Bella until she felt as though she couldn't breathe, her laughter drawing in the children; Marley clambered onto Edward's back while Bodhi crawled between the bodies of his parents to act as a shield for his mother. Edward's tickling fingers moved to his son's chubby belly, and he leaned down to blow raspberries over Bodhi's cheeks and on his neck until the little boy finally screamed 's-suwwender!' through his panted laughter.

They collapsed in a heap on the sofa, Marley commanding Edward to 'turn _Moana_ on now, Daddy – ummm, please.'

"Yes, Ma'am," He snickered, saluting his little girl as he grabbed the remote control and hit 'play.'

As the opening scenes began, Bodhi laid back on Bella, his head pillowed on her chest, his feet propped on her bended knees, and his little fingers reaching back to play with the ends of her hair.

Marley sat cross-legged beside Edward on the sofa, becoming more and more engrossed in the movie with every song.

When Moana began to sing about how far she'd go, Marley mouthed the words along with her; Bella recorded the adorable sight on her phone.

By the time it got to the song by Tamatoa, the mean crab, Edward couldn't resist bugging his baby girl. He held up a finger to his lips when Bodhi began to shake with laughter, carefully leaning sideways until his lips were a breath away from Marley's ear just as the crab got to the chorus.

" _I'd rather be shiny! Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck._ "

Marley jumped with a squeal, but it turned to delighted giggles when Edward sang and did a silly dance for the rest of the song.

Apparently, singing and dancing made Marley and Bodhi hungry for cookies. They'd baked two whole trays full earlier, so they stampeded into the kitchen to fetch some, the dogs not far behind.

Edward leaned over to plant a lingering kiss on Bella's cheek, pulling back with a smile. "I love you, _mi amore_. Thank you, for this afternoon. I think we all needed it; it's been perfect."

Bella grinned, sighing in contentment. "It really has."

She saw the flash of mischief in Edward's eyes just a second before he burst into song.

" _What can I say except you're welcome, for the tides, the sun, the sky!_ "

Marley and Bodhi rolled around in hysterics at the surprised look on their mother's face, and the silly voice Edward was using to sing; deeper than his usual singing voice, because he was trying to impersonate Dwayne Johnson, who played Maui, whose song this was in the movie.

" _Hey, it's okay, it's okay, you're welcome. I'm just an ordinary demi-guy._ "

Bella quickly pulled her phone from her pocket to record Edward as he scooped Marley from the floor and flew her around, singing the next verse, and the next, and the next, until the song was over, and the children were absolutely beside themselves with glee.

"Daddy, you're silly," Bodhi told him sagely.

Edward chuckled, crouching to Eskimo kiss his boy. "Do you love me though, _tesoro_?"

Bodhi nodded, resting his forehead against Edward's with a sigh. "Yeah, Daddy. _Ti 'mo_."

" _Tia mo anch'io, tesoro_."

Bella knew, thanks to her brief Italian lessons with Edward, that he'd said, 'I love you, too, treasure.' Bodhi, however, cocked his head like a confused little puppy, and damn it if it Edward copying him didn't make the most adorable picture ever. Bella quickly saved it as her screensaver, knowing she'd be spending a lot of time looking at it in the future.

As Edward explained what he'd said, Marley gasped and hopped up to her feet. "Pawpaw's home!"

Sure enough, the dogs skidded past the living room doorway a moment later, Charlie's chuckles filtering through from the hall when they greeted him with their typical tail-wags and slobbery kisses.

He appeared in the doorway, Bella, Bodhi, and Edward turning to face him as Marley ran over to hug him around the waist. "Hey, Pawpaw!"

"Hey, sweetheart," Charlie chuckled. "I see you remembered, then."

She beamed up at him, an obviously fake innocent glint to her eyes. "Remembered what, Pawpaw?"

The smell hit them then.

Bella tried and failed to hold back her smile, realising that her dad must have promised Marley they'd have takeaway for dinner. "Chinese again, Dad?"

"Figured it'd been a while."

As Edward guffawed and the children scrambled to help their Pawpaw carry the three large bags of takeaway into the kitchen, Bella called after him, "A week! It's been a _week_ since we had Chinese last, Dad!"

"Well if you don't hurry up, these starving kiddos will eat it all, and it'll be another week until _you_ get Chinese, baby girl!" He yelled back teasingly.

"You heard the man," Edward mumbled, reaching out with that delicious, crooked smirk to pull Bella to her feet. He deliberately tugged her just a little too hard, grinning down at her when she had to put her hands against his pecs to steady herself. "Oops."

Shaking her head, Bella stretched up on her tiptoes to ghost her lips over Edward's. He breathed out shakily, his hands sliding down to rest at her waist. He gave her a gentle squeeze to encourage her to close the gap, heat building between their bodies the longer she held out on him. He felt the curl of her lips before she whispered, "Oops," and ducked around him, narrowly escaping the arm he shot out to try and catch her. A giggle tumbled from her lips as he groaned, shaking his head and shooting her a heated glare.

"You," he growled, pointing to her, "will pay for that later, _mi amore_."

With a wink and a blown kiss as she headed into the hall, Bella admitted, "I was hoping you'd say that."

Charlie looked up at her as she stepped into the kitchen, rosy-cheeked and grinning like a Cheshire cat with Edward's loud groan following her into the room. "What's wrong with Edward?"

With fire-engine red cheeks, Bella shook her head and busied herself plating some food for Marley and Bodhi. "N-nothing, Dad. He's just…hungry."

"Ain't that the truth," Edward grumbled, entering the room.

As Charlie looked between his daughter and future son-in-law, he shook his head with a rueful chuckle and decided to let it be.

Judging by his daughter's flaming cheeks and Edward's sudden grumpiness, as Bella's father, he was sure he didn't want to know.


	8. Chapter Seven

**To make up for my epic rubbishness of late,  
here's a bonus chapter ;)  
I'll still be uploading the next one - Chapter  
Eight, now - on Sunday.**

 **So...a lot of you are in awe of their bravery  
at wanting to go meet Remi. ALL of you are  
kinda pissed that he's contacted them, which  
doesn't surprise me. One of the first things that  
surprised me when I started Pinky Promises was  
how quickly you all became protective of these girls.  
**

 **This chapter...well, you should be happy with it after  
last chapter's drama.**

 **All right...I wont chit-chat too long up here, but I  
have important news at the bottom, so please have  
a read when you're done.**

 **Huuuuge hugs to the awesome** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for being their wonderful selves and tidying this up for me.  
** **Without them, this wouldn't be possible.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most. But they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Seven**

 _ **Friday, September 13**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019**_

Three days later, Bella dragged herself out of bed with a weary groan.

"What's wrong, Mamma?" Bodhi asked, scaring the living daylights out of her.

"Baby boy, you scared me," she panted, sucking in a few deep breaths as Bodhi clambered onto the bed with her.

"S-sorry, Mamma."

She managed a weak smile, brushing his mop of curls back from his face. "It's okay, baby. I just didn't expect you to be up already."

"Mimi said to c-come g-get you. S'almost time to g-go to the f-f- _farm_."

" _What…_ Oh."

She'd slept in. According to her phone on the nightstand, it was almost nine-thirty.

"Did Daddy take Marley to school?"

"Yup," Bodhi said cheerfully. "He's at work with Pawpaw, Unca Arch, an' Unca Em."

 _Well, hell._ Bella frowned as she unfolded herself from the bed, wincing when it started her stomach off somersaulting. She felt like she'd been hit by a truck and then had it reverse over her. Come to think of it, she'd felt a bit _off_ ever since that Chinese her dad had brought home on Tuesday.

With a big sigh, she held out her hands to Bodhi. "Come on then, little man. Let's get ready, so we can go. I bet Mimi's wondering what we're up to, huh?"

"She s-said we can g-get breakfast on the way!" he told her, bouncing on his toes.

Shaking her head with a smile, Bella made a mental note to curb Esme's habit of spoiling the kids; it was likely a fruitless exercise, but she had to try. "All right, mister. Let's get going so we can get you breakfast, then."

By the time she'd showered and dressed in an old pair of jeans, a long-sleeved navy top, and a padded grey gilet, Bella felt a lot better, so she didn't bother mentioning it to Esme.

"C'mon, buddy," she called, patting her thigh. Sammy couldn't hear her, but her saw her 'come' gesture and trotted down the path, hopping neatly into the back of the car. Esme had already folded the rear seats down, and Faith was waiting patiently for her brother while Esme buckled Bodhi into his monster print car seat; Bella had seen it on the _Cosatto_ website and just had to have it for her little man, the print too colourful and original to resist.

"Good boy," Bella signed and said, kissing Sammy's pink nose once he was settled and attached to his seatbelt. After double-checking Faith's restraint, she closed the boot and headed round to get in, smiling when Esme joined her and cheered.

"Off we go! Are we ready for a day of fun, my loves?"

"Yeah, M-Mimi!" Bodhi cheered, arms in the air and dimpled smile firmly in place.

"Good! And you, Miss Mamma? Are you ready?"

Bella laughed and nodded. "I sure am, Mimi."

"Good! Now, let's pick up Rosalie from the hairdresser and we can be on our way!" Esme chimed, beaming brightly as she turned the key to start the engine and pulled them slowly off the driveway.

 **~ oOo ~**

It wasn't until she was standing in the kennels later that day that Bella felt the first niggling whispers of a memory, poking and prodding at the back of her mind, just out of reach.

"Aw, Mamma! L-look! P-p- _puppies!_ "

"Yeah, baby," Bella murmured, a hand on her belly as she felt the stirrings of cramps. A quick calculation settled her slightly; her period was due any day. It explained her feeling sick, as she always felt nauseated the first couple of days of her period. "I'll be right back, okay? Stay with Mimi."

"Uh huh."

Bella smiled and shook her head. Bodhi wasn't going anywhere while the two-week-old golden retriever puppies were tumbling over themselves and him. Still, she called out to Esme and pointed to Bodhi before gesturing toward the main house.

Esme nodded, giving her a thumbs-up before going back to measuring bowls of food.

Content in the knowledge that Bodhi was safe, she hurried out of the kennel and toward the house, rushing up the back porch steps and down the hall to the bathrooms when her stomach flipped, bile rushing up to her throat.

She _just_ made it to the toilet in time.

Emerging a few minutes later, she was surprised to bump into Rosalie exiting the room across the hall. Her face was flushed, a small frown on her face as she tucked something into her handbag. "Are you okay?"

Rosalie nodded hurriedly, her frown turning into a smile. They paused for a moment, staring at one another before Rosalie let out a little squeal and pulled something from her bag. It took a moment for Bella to realise what it was.

"You…you're _pregnant?_ "

"I don't know. Renee just gave me this test to take, but I couldn't do it. I'm too nervous and excited."

A wide smile overtook Bella's face. "Rose…you've got to take it!" she urged, holding her best friend's hands. "God, how exciting is this?"

"I know! I mean, we've been trying…" Bella nodded because Rosalie had admitted early last month that she and Emmett were trying for a baby.

' _We want what you've got,'_ she'd admitted over coffee one morning, while they watched the children romp with the dogs in the garden.

"My period was due last week – well, you know it was, yours was too – but I—"

"Wait, what? Last week?"

Rosalie frowned. "What?"

"Our periods…they weren't last week. It's this week."

With a light laugh, Rosalie shook her head and pulled her phone from her pocket, opening her calendar. She had the last week highlighted purple, with 'period' written on each day. Suddenly, Bella realised she'd lost all track of the dates, what with the Paul drama and then the letter from Remi…it had thrown her off-kilter.

Rosalie was right; it was Bella who had miscalculated.

" _Oh, shit,_ " Bella breathed, all the air rushing from her lungs as she sagged back against the wall, using a nearby cabinet to hold herself up.

"Bella…" Rosalie sang with a spark of hopeful excitement in her baby blues. "Are you late, too?"

All she could do was nod meekly. She'd taken her pill religiously, never missing a single one. But thinking back, the week before Bodhi's birthday she'd had a three-day course of antibiotics for a stomach bug.

A snippet of a memory came to her…

" _Three of my kids came about because of antibiotics," Eleazer chuckled, ruffling Carl-Roman's hair._

 _Bella rolled her eyes, handing Bodhi his juice bottle. "Nice, Uncle El."_

" _What?" he cried with a toothy grin. "It's true! I swear, Carm gave herself a stomach bug or somethin' just to take the damn things to knock out her pill thingies."_

"Here, follow me."

Following blindly, Bella let Rosalie tug her into the bathroom she'd just vacated. "Rose, Rose, wait! I can't be! I _can't be_."

Rosalie grinned. "I really don't think you've got a choice at this point, B. Why are you so freaked out?"

 _Because the timing's all wrong. I'll have three children at twenty-five. This wasn't planned – at all._

"B, sweetie, look at me," Rosalie urged, guiding Bella to sit on the toilet seat before crouching in front of her. "What's scaring you the most?"

"Edward!" Bella blurted out, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Why? Jesus, B – out of everyone, he'll be the most excited! Have you _seen_ himwith Mars and Beesy? Can you imagine his face when you tell him you're having another little sweet or _tesoro_?"

Bella couldn't stifle her snort at the way Rosalie pronounced 'tesoro.' Bilingual, she was not. She had to admit though; Rosalie painted a pretty picture of Edward smiling and delighted with the news. And, thinking about it, he'd never made a secret of the fact that he'd love to add to their brood. Picturing Edward cradling a sweet, chubby baby with copper hair and pretty green eyes chased Bella's fear away; most of it, anyway.

"All right." She sucked in a deep breath, holding out a hand. "Are we doing this?" Rosalie squealed and fished out a test from her bag, handing it over before removing its twin from the box and heading down the hall to the other bathroom.

Bella couldn't bring herself to look at the stick once she'd peed on it. Instead, she set it face-down on the counter and stared at herself in the mirror as she washed her hands. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide and stormy with her fluctuating emotions.

On the one hand, wouldn't it be wonderful news? Another little baby to love; another little sweet or _tesoro_ , like Rosalie said. Edward would be ecstatic, of that Bella was certain. And the rest of her family would celebrate, too. Mimi and PopPop would have another honorary grandchild, and Charlie would have another grandson or granddaughter to add to his four – or six, including Poppy's two, because Bella was pretty sure Archie was almost ready to propose at this point, he was that smitten.

As for Marley and Bodhi…

Marley had stepped up from the very moment Bodhi arrived as though she was born to be a big sister. She doted on him and adored every smile, giggle, and hug he gave her. Bodhi was the sweetest boy Bella had ever met, and she had no doubts that he'd be an amazing big brother if this test came back positive.

" _Bella?_ " Rosalie's soft voice came through the door, startling Bella from thoughts of Edward cooing to a baby with his eyes, double-dimpled crooked smile, and his clusterfuck of copper locks.

She sighed and scooped the test from the sink, still not looking as she let herself out of the bathroom and came face-to-face with Rosalie, whose mile-wide grin said it all before she raised the test in the air and revealed the plus sign.

"Oh my God…" Bella breathed, smiling as her eyes filled with tears and she rushed to throw her arms around her best friend. "Congratulations, Ro. God, I'm so happy for you! Emmett is going to just _die_."

"I know!" Rosalie giggled almost hysterically, fanning her overheated cheeks as she pulled back, looking down at the stick clenched tight in Bella's hand. "Well?"

"I…I h-haven't looked," She sputtered, sounding very much like her son.

Rosalie's eyes softened. "Want me to…?"

"Yeah," Bella mouthed, her throat suddenly too tight.

 _Oh, God…_ Suddenly, she was irrationally terrified it would be negative. The timing was awful, with Paul's arrival in their lives and now Remi Wilson reaching out; not to mention the fact that she hadn't even discussed having another baby with Edward. But suddenly she wanted it, something fierce.

"Oh…" Rosalie whispered as she tugged Bella's hand up, prying her fingers back to reveal the little screen.

"What?" Bella urged, "What does it say?"

Their eyes met; both sets brimming with tears.

"Ro!"

Slowly, _so_ , so slowly, Rosalie turned the test round to face Bella, her smile a million miles wide when Bella's eyes dropped to the symbol in the test window before bouncing back up. "It's positive! Oh my God, it's _positive!_ Ro, I'm having a baby! _We're_ having babies!"

 **~ oOo ~**

There was no hiding anything from Esme.

When Bella and Rosalie finally emerged from the house after their tear-fest, they bumped into her on the back porch. She and Bodhi were on the swing, rocking gently as Bodhi petted a fluffy black cat named Twilight. He'd been rescued from a drain as a kitten, and Renee had hand-reared him. When the time came to rehome him, she'd been unable to say 'goodbye,' and he'd been here ever since. Now thirteen years old, he was quite the old timer, and more than content to lay across Bodhi's lap while the little boy curls tufts of his long, soft black fur around his small fingers.

"Mamma! Aunt Rose! Th-there you are!"

"Yeah, here we are," Rosalie giggled; she was practically giddy.

Esme's eyes narrowed as she looked between the two young women. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine, Esme," Rosalie promised, glancing first at Bella beside her, then at Bodhi, who was engrossed in his conversation with the fluffy cat. "We're, ummm, _more_ than fine."

It only took a second for Esme's eyes to widen and her mouth to fall open. "You…you're both…?"

When Rosalie and Bella nodded in unison, Esme jumped up from the swing, apologising to Bodhi for making him jump before engulfing both girls in a firm hug. She may have been small, but she was strong and fierce with her love.

"Oh, my word…you're really both _pregnant_?" she whispered excitedly, cupping first Bella's face, then Rosalie's. Tears gathered on her lashes when they both nodded jerkily, fighting tears of their own. "I can't even… _Gah,_ those boys are going to be beside themselves!"

Rosalie giggled again. "I know!"

"And you found out today?"

"Just now," Bella admitted, her voice a touch shaky. "I hadn't even realised that I was _late_ , until Rose pointed it out."

Esme shook her head. "You've been busy, sweetpea."

 _Understatement,_ Bella thought. With Paul's random arrival in her life, quickly followed by Remi Wilson's letter landing on the doormat, Bella had barely had time to think, let alone to keep track of anything that wasn't essential. Remembering the side effects her antibiotics would have on her pill had fallen to the wayside; she could only hope Edward wouldn't be mad.

As though reading her mind, Esme frowned and cupped Bella's chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You're worrying. What's wrong? Are you concerned about Edward?"

"A little," Bella admitted, glancing over Esme's shoulder at Bodhi. He was now laying on his front on the floor, little _Timberland-_ clad feet kicking in the air as he rolled his toy trucks around on the wooden porch. "What if he's mad? This is…it's my mess up." Her cheeks flamed. "I forgot that antibiotics knock out the pill."

Esme grinned with more than a hint of mischief. She looked just like Edward, at that moment. "Somehow, I'm certain this is the kind of thing Edward is going to see very differently to you, sweetpea. I can't see him thinking of this as a 'mess up' of any kind."

"She's right, B. Edward's going to die, but in a good way."

As she looked between the woman who'd been her best friend since their very first hour of life, and the woman who'd taken on the role of mother to the extended gang of family around her, Bella couldn't help but relax. They were right; of course, they were.

They had to be.

Bella didn't know what she'd do with herself if they were wrong.

 **~ oOo ~**

When Edward stepped through the front door hours later, Bella set down her knife and sucked in a deep breath.

 _It's okay. He'll be excited,_ she told herself firmly. Listening to the children racing to greet him in the hallway, accompanied by the dogs, she couldn't stifle a smile despite her nerves and racing heart.

"Hey, _piccoli tesori_ ," Edward chuckled, his 'little treasures' giggling and chiming, "Hey, Daddy."

Thinking ahead with a trembling hand moving to rest over her still-flat abdomen, Bella could picture Marley and Bodhi running to the door as usual, but with a copper-haired, green-eyed baby with Edward's crooked smile crawling after them. It was all too easy to imagine him scooping the trio into his arms to pepper their faces with kisses; far too easy to picture him with a mini-Edward dressed in cargo shorts and _Timberlands_.

"Ah!"

Edward's arms snaking around Bella's waist startled her. She jumped, spinning in his embrace and resting her hands against his chest. His jacket was cool to the touch thanks to the chill in the September air, but his lips were warm when he snickered and leaned down for a kiss. "Hey, _mi amore_."

"I didn't hear you creep up on me," Bella sighed, her fingers wrapping themselves in the fabric of his jacket as she melted into his touch.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." As he pulled back slightly, pecking her nose with one more, quick kiss, Edward smiled. "So…how are you? Kids been good today?"

The flutter of nerves erupted in her belly. "They _were_ good, actually. Thank you for taking care of Marley this morning. It was easy only having to get Bodhi ready."

"Mimi took us to the farm, Daddy! We g-got to see R-R- _Renee_!" Bodhi yelled as he slammed into the back of Edward's legs, peering up at his parents with a toothy, dimpled grin when they laughed and looked down at him.

"You went to the farm? Without _me_?"

Bodhi laughed hysterically when Edward scooped him from the floor to cradle him, leaving his belly wide open for noisy raspberries. "N- _no_ , D-Daddy!"

"What do you think, _mi amore_? Shall I let him go?" Edward teased, lightly tickling Bodhi's tummy with his scruffy chin.

Bella smiled and leaned in to kiss her boy's belly. "You can let him go now, Hubs. We've got to get ready for dinner with Rose and Em—."

Edward's eyebrows jumped a bit as he interrupted, asking, "We're going there?"

"No!" Bella laughed, turning to finish chopping the carrots for Sammy and Faith; their treat would have holes cut in the sides to be filled with peanut butter, ready for when they were home alone later that evening. "We're going out to eat. I think Em booked a table up the road. The whole family is coming."

Humming happily, Edward set Bodhi back on his feet, ruffling his hair before he ran off to find his sister. "What's the occasion?"

"Hmmm?" Bella bit her lip, refusing to turn and face Edward even when he moved to stand beside her, his gaze hot on the side of her face. _Don't break now! Wait just a little bit longer!_

"Well, we don't go out that often. Usually, we cook, or they cook. I wondered if there was an occasion we're celebrating by going out, that's all." He bent in to kiss her cheek, smiling when she hummed and leaned into his lips for a second to prolong the contact. "I'll go get showered. Do the kids need bathing?"

"Yeah, but I'll sort them out. I'm almost done here."

Edward stepped away but quickly ducked back again to press a long, lingering kiss to Bella's temple. She shivered, closing her eyes and basking in the comfort and calmness the simple gesture evoked.

"I love you, _mi amore_ ," he whispered against her skin before leaving for real; his footsteps clunking up the stairs were followed by the stampeding steps of Marley, Bodhi, Sammy, and Faith. Bella smiled to herself and blew out a shaky breath as she finished the carrot snack for the dogs, shooting a glance at the clock on the wall.

The table was booked for seven p.m.; in just over an hour, Bella and Rosalie would be revealing their news to their families.

 **~ oOo ~**

"But, Mamma—"

"No, Bodhi – no 'but, Mamma.'"

Bodhi stamped his foot, scowling down at his toes as Bella buttoned his teal shirt. She'd compromised and put him in a short-sleeved shirt rather than the long-sleeved he'd initially refused to wear. At this point, with less than five minutes until they were due to leave, she didn't have time to find and iron something else.

"C-can I wear my _Ravens_ shirt later?"

Smiling and patting his belly once she'd fastened the last button, Bella nodded. "You can wear your _Ravens_ pyjamas to bed, if you want."

Appeased, Bodhi's slow, sweet smile returned. "Ok-kay, Mamma."

"Go on, now; grab your sister, please."

As Bodhi ran out of the room toward the bedroom he and Marley shared, Bella slumped back on her folded legs and sighed. Baths and picking outfits got harder and harder the older the children were, she was sure. They both loved to splash until they were wrinkled and cold, which just wasn't possible on a time crunch like they were currently experiencing. Marley had always loved baths, but a love of water had come slowly to Bodhi. He'd squealed and cried throughout every bath until he was around four months old, and now, at age three, he adored splashing around in the tub with his sailboats and rubber ducks.

Bella's hand moved of its own volition to rest over her damp t-shirt. It was odd to think that just twenty-four hours ago, she hadn't known about the little being growing inside her womb.

"Will you like baths, little one?" Bella whispered, tears gathering on her lashes.

"Will who like baths?"

" _Holy—_ Edward!"

Leaning in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, and one ankle crossed over the other, he melted her ire at being frightened by letting his lips curl up into his delicious smirk. "You're just all kinds of away with the fairies today, aren't you? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, just trying to get us all ready in time. Marley! Bodhi! In here, please!"

Ordinarily, a time crunch didn't stress Bella out too much; today, on top of the emotion of her earlier revelation and the upcoming announcement with Rosalie in front of her dad, Emmett, Peter, the children, Archie, Poppy, Carlisle, and Esme, it was all just a bit too much. As Edward crossed their room to kneel in front of her, cupping her face with one large hand while brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with the other, she let out a long sigh and realised hormones were probably playing a big part in her fluctuating emotions, too.

Even early in the pregnancy, like she suspected she was, Bella knew hormones could be wild. With Bodhi, she'd been a crying wreck right from the beginning, although she hadn't known _why_ at the time.

"Hey, hey, look at me." Edward smiled when Bella huffed and met his gaze. "Get yourself ready, and I'll sort the kids." When Bella made to speak, he shushed her by pressing a finger to her lips. " _I'll_ sort the kids while you do whatever it is you do to make yourself look even more stunningly beautiful than you already do."

Bella snorted. In a soggy, sudsy t-shirt, a pair of holey leggings, and with her hair piled atop her head in the messiest of buns, her blonde roots beginning to show through, Bella knew she didn't look anywhere close to 'beautiful,' but she nodded anyway and leaned in to press a quick kiss to Edward's pursed lips.

He patted her butt as she got to her feet and made her way to the dresser, slipping off her leggings and t-shirt. Edward left her with a parting groan and a wink that promised naughty behaviour later that evening, a flush stealing over Bella's cheeks as she pulled the dress she'd chosen over her head. It was a pretty A-line, floral-print, knee-length dress with a white Peter Pan collar and a thin white lace trim around the hem. Bella couldn't help but turn and look at herself in the mirror from every angle, despite knowing there was no way she'd be showing yet. At most, she could only be a month or so along, and she hadn't shown with Marley or Bodhi until four months.

She also knew, thanks to a flurry of texts from Rosalie while she was bathing Bodhi, that they were both as equally nervous as the other.

As she unwound her hair and set about brushing it out, Bella stared at her flushed cheeks in the mirror and wondered how she'd gotten here; to this point in her life, engaged to a wonderful man who'd saved her both literally and figuratively, with two beautiful children and now another on the way.

She'd come an awfully long way from the scared girl Edward had pulled from the flames back in that decrepit motel room in Montana, that was for sure.

Fishing a pair of earrings from the box on her dresser, Bella quickly shoved them through the holes in her earlobes and fastened the necklace Edward gave her for Christmas around her neck. She brushed the amber pendant resting at the base of her throat with her fingertips as Marley and Bodhi barrelled into the room, panting and grinning.

"S'time to go, Mamma!" Bodhi cheered.

"Whoa, Mamma! You look pretty!" Marley breathed, her eyes wide as she clasped her hands under her chin and gazed at her mother.

"Thank you, baby girl," Bella laughed, cupping her daughter's cheeks. "You look beautiful."

Edward had put her in the dress Bella laid out on her bed – a gorgeous blue and white flower-patterned one with capped sleeves – and she had her white cardigan on over the top with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. Looking at her next to Bodhi, in his teal shirt with a white undershirt underneath, a pair of dark wash jeans, and his white _Converse_ , Bella giggled. "You two match!"

Marley and Bodhi shared a look at each other's outfits before bursting into laughter.

"We _d-do_ , Mamma!" Bodhi exclaimed, his eyes wide and his smile, even more so. "Oh, and D-Daddy, too!"

"'Daddy, too,' what?"

As Edward appeared in the doorway, resting a hand on Marley's head and one on Bodhi's, Bella felt herself swoon in the slushy romance novel kind of way. Her stomach did a somersault, her pulse took off at a sprint, and her heart filled to bursting at the sight in front of her.

Unconsciously, Bella had dressed them all in some kind of blue – her dress, Bodhi's shirt, and Marley's dress – and Edward had, consciously or otherwise, chosen a shirt to fit the theme. It was royal blue, had long sleeves rolled back to his elbows, and clung to him in all the right places. His defined pectorals and biceps were showcased beautifully by the fit, his shoulders crying out for a sonnet or statue when she twirled a finger in the air, requesting a spin.

When Edward came back to face her, a crooked, confused smile on his face, he suddenly noticed the darkening of her eyes from sea blue-green to a warm, almost navy hue. However, it was the flush spreading across her chest that gave her away.

"All right," he mumbled gruffly, undoing the top button of his shirt and adjusting the abruptly too-tight collar. "Let's get going…"

Marley and Bodhi careened out of the room, Bella following close behind once she'd scooped her purse and phone from the dresser. As she passed Edward in the doorway, he caged her in with his arms, her spine pressed against the doorframe. She squeaked and held his waist, peering up into his deep, dark jade eyes.

"You look… _so_ hungry, _mi amore_."

Bella's lips curled upward as her tongue escaped for a moment, sweeping across her lower lip. Edward's gaze followed it hungrily, a low groan reverberating in his chest when, instead of picking her up and throwing her on the bed like he wanted to, he had to pat her on the butt and send her downstairs toward the sound of the children bickering over who got to give the dogs their peanut butter-carrot treats.

"Are you coming, Hubs?" she called from the top of the stairs.

"No, _mi amore_ ," Edward growled with a sarcastic half-smile, looking down pointedly at the noticeable bulge in his jeans. "Unfortunately, I'm _not_ ' _coming_.'"

Despite the discomfort in his jeans and the knowledge that they were very definitely late leaving to meet their family and friends for dinner, Edward felt himself grinning at the sound of Bella's delighted laughter as she made her way down the stairs to break up the argument between their children.

Edward would gladly suffer all the blue balls in the world, just to hear that sound every day for the rest of his life.

* * *

 **Okay, so...I'm absolutely beyond thrilled and surprised and ALL THE FEELS to tell you that Pinky Promises is in the running for Top Ten Completed Fics of 2017. As you already know, it won for it's month back in September 2017, and I'm just stoked it's in the running for the year vote. If you want to vote for it - and I would be tremendously grateful - hit up the site and vote. PP isn't the only story there, of course, and you could do as I do and vote for a different one each day - you have one vote each 24 hours, so don't let them go to waste!**

 **Also...and this blows my mind...my Christmas Emmett x Bella story has been nominated over at TwiFanfictionRecs as one of the Top Completed Stories In January! Mind...BLOWN. Honestly, I never realised how many people would fall in love with the little family. If you read it and want to head over there and vote, please feel free to do so. Again, there are a bunch of amazing stories in that poll, so use your votes wisely and don't forget to use them each day.**

 **All right, that's all from me. Hugs to all of you. I'll see you Sunday!**


	9. Chapter Eight

*****IMPORTANT A/N*****

 **I'm going to keep it fairly short, because quite frankly, I'm  
in a spot of shock. The nominations for the TwiFic Fandom Awards  
were announced today and I've made FOUR categories!**

 **FOUR! Please excuse the sound of my jaw hitting the floor!**

 **Thank you so, so much to each and every one of you for taking  
the time to nominate me and these stories. I was nominated in the  
Favourite Newbie Author category (GAH!), while Pinky Promises is in the  
MY EMOTIONS and Potential Bestseller groups.  
Promises To Keep didn't miss out, either, and is nominated in the  
5ever Fic category!**

 **I just don't even know what to say. I'm so surprised, and it's such  
an honour to be included in a list of so many amazing stories and  
authors.**

 **Thank you, from the bottom of my heart 3**

 **And, as always, a big thank you goes to my wonderful  
** **dream team** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding **, without whom  
** **none of this would be possible.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters of course belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Eight**

The restaurant staff had kindly set aside a large table in the back with a smaller one beside it for the children, and that was where Bella, Edward, Marley, and Bodhi found the rest of their group when they arrived.

"Hey! You finally made it!" Emmett boomed, everyone turning to welcome the little family.

Marley and Bodhi darted around to greet their cousins, Carl-Roman, Chase, Chloe, and Callum already set up with colouring pages and pencils.

"Sorry, we got caught up. Minor bath-time fiasco," Bella admitted with an eyeroll as Charlie drew her into his arms. "Hey, nice shirt, Dad."

He'd been away overnight with Peter for a permit meeting, and garnered laughter from the group when he admitted he'd stopped off at a store to pick up a nicer shirt than the polo he'd taken with him.

"Did Bodhi want to stay in there until he pruned?" Charlie guessed correctly.

"Of course. He'd live in the water, if he could."

"All right, gang, I'm hungry. What do we say we get ordering?"

Rosalie clapped Emmett on the back of the neck with an eyeroll as he grinned and clapped his hands loudly enough to startle everyone from their conversations. "All right, you oaf. Sit down and shush," she chided. "Have you even decided what you want to eat yet?"

Emmett frowned, nodding eagerly. "I always have the same here, Rosie. Chili burger, all day, every day!"

This was the family's favourite restaurant purely for the great selection of food and family-friendly feel, but Emmett still had the same meal every single time. A ginormous duo of burgers topped with chili, macaroni cheese, mushrooms, and onion rings.

Generally, he wasn't the only one to attempt to defeat the enormous meal; this time wasn't any different. Once Bella and Edward had taken their seats and perused the menu for a few minutes, the waiter came over to take orders and both Charlie and Edward joined Emmett in his pursuit of the Chili Burger Certificate – for people who managed to defeat it.

From across the table, Rosalie shot Bella a nervous smile. Bella's stomach flip-flopped with the reminder of the reason they'd thrown together this impromptu meal out. The thought of it made her feel faint with nerves. Calling everyone out, her father, brother, Esme and Carlisle, Peter…it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Esme had encouraged it, her excitement visible even from the other end of the table where she sat between Archie's girlfriend, Poppy, and Charlie.

Looking around at everyone now, Bella found herself wishing she'd just blurted it out to Edward when he arrived home earlier, like she almost had. This big announcement…it just wasn't her style.

 **~ oOo ~**

By the time the main meals had been eaten and cleared away, Bodhi had found his way to Bella's lap and Callum was sound asleep on Archie, his little head pillowed on Archie's shoulder. It was an adorable sight; Bella could only hope her brother would get his head out of his ass and put a ring on Poppy's finger soon. His divorce had been finalised well over a year ago, and everyone could see that he and Poppy were made for one another. Heck, even their kids knew it. Carl-Roman and Chase had been calling Callum and Chloe their brother and sister for months, and vice versa.

Running a hand down Bodhi's back, Bella leaned in to rest her forehead against Bodhi's mop of curls. He smelled like his apple baby shampoo and his daddy's aftershave, thanks to the cuddles they'd shared before he clambered over onto her lap. It was soothing to just breathe him in and listen to the conversations going on around them.

Edward was deep in discussion with Emmett and Charlie about a project they were bidding on – a massive expanse of land a few minutes away, in Willingdon, for three-hundred new houses. They were animated and gesturing, hope in their eyes and voices because this would be a huge deal for _DH Construction_.

Carlisle and Peter were discussing the merits of investing in a new fleet of vans, because their current four were falling apart and cost more to fix at this point than it would to buy newer ones.

Esme, Poppy, and Rosalie were talking quietly about Callum's recent first day at preschool. Poppy had been petrified her shy little boy would be terrified when left alone, but he'd run into the classroom hand-in-hand with his teacher without a backward glance at his mother. It had both made Poppy happy and saddened her to see her littlest baby growing up before her eyes.

"It doesn't get any better," Bella admitted softly, smiling when the women turned to look at her. "I was a wreck when Marley started school. Without Edward there telling me it was okay, I'd have fallen apart. I can't even imagine what I'll be like when this one has to go."

Bodhi giggled when Bella jiggled him on her lap. "Mamma! I'm n-not going t-to school, s-silly! I'm gonna st-stay home with y-y- _you_!"

Bella couldn't help but smile at his sputtered declaration. "Oh, you are, huh?" He nodded, leaning into her chest with a content, dimpled smile.

"Y-yep! I'm g-gonna st-stay with y-you and you can t-teach me."

Esme, Poppy, and Rosalie laughed at his matter-of-fact tone.

"D'you know what, baby boy? I'd love nothing more," Bella admitted, kissing her son's curl-covered head as it occurred to her that she'd only have a year or so of Bodhi being at home with her and the new baby before he had to go to school. Having his birthday late in August meant he'd be one of the youngest in his year, but knowing how clever and eager to learn he was, Bella was certain Bodhi would flourish. As much as she wanted to keep him home with her forever, Marley too, she knew that he'd be ready whenever he started.

"I'll be right back," Esme said pointedly, leaving the table with gleeful smiles aimed at Rosalie and Bella.

Holding her son impossibly closer, Bella sucked in a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face when Edward turned to ask if she was okay.

"I'm fine," she told him brightly, not feeling 'fine' at all. Her heart was racing as she watched Esme speaking to the waitress they'd delivered their surprise desserts to earlier in the day. Esme was so delighted, that Bella couldn't help but feel buoyed.

Why was she panicking so much? This family had been nothing but supportive with both Marley and Bodhi.

Even now, with Paul's arrival in their lives, they were rallying around to look after her and the children.

Edward…he had to deal with so much to be a part of their lives; to be their daddy. He spent months proving himself before he became 'Daddy,' and now he was having to step aside and let his boy spend time with his biological father despite how much it hurt him to do so.

As Esme came back to the table, Bella mustered a genuine smile and nodded when Rosalie mouthed, "Ready?"

She _was_ ready.

Not once in their entire relationship had Edward ever even insinuated that he'd be unhappy with another child. In fact, he'd hinted a multitude of times that they should have another.

So, with that thought in her mind, Bella was beaming as two waiters made their way over to the table carrying the identical chocolate cakes she and Rosalie had picked out earlier. They'd been hidden under cloches, so Emmett and Edward wouldn't see the picture immediately. It had been a manic rush to get from the farm to a bakery with enough time to get the cakes made and the photos printed onto rice paper to go on the top.

Esme had distracted Bodhi in the car while Bella and Rosalie took each other's pictures.

The 'baby on board' t-shirts they were wearing in the photos were mercifully easy to get from a photo printing shop just down the street from the bakery, so that had been the easy part.

Though Bella had initially been worried about announcing their pregnancies to everyone while they were still in the early stages, Esme had pointed out that, regardless of whether the worst happened, and anything went wrong, the family would want to support her or Rosalie, so telling them couldn't hurt.

"What's this?" Edward asked with a confused grin, becoming even more so when Bella simply shook her head.

She could feel the eyes of their friends and family jumping between her, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett, who also had a cake set down in front of him. The men shared looks asking, 'Do you know what's going on?'

Rosalie sucked in a deep breath, reaching out to hold the handle on the cloche in front of Emmett as Bella shifted Bodhi a little to reach for Edward's. "So, ummm, Bella and I have some news for you all."

Bella and Rosalie's smiles were wide but tremulous as they counted to three, ignoring the tittering murmurs of confusion and curiosity from the rest of their families to concentrate on the looks of surprise when they lifted the lids and revealed the cakes to their men.

Emmett hissed out a breath through his teeth, his grin a mile wide when he read the words printed on Rosalie's t-shirt in the rice paper image before facing her. "Are you serious? We're having a baby?"

"We are," she giggled, squealing when Emmett scooped her into his arms and swung her around, narrowly missing Marley and Carl-Roman behind them, who ran around the table to see what all the commotion was about. "We're not the only ones, either."

Bella pulled her focus away from the picture of her wearing a 'baby on board' t-shirt, forcing herself to meet Edward's gaze. His beautiful emerald eyes were overflowing with tears, his dimples popping as he breathed, "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah, Hubs," she sighed, tuning out the whoops of delight and congratulations around them. "I know we didn't plan this and it's rotten timing."

"We're having a baby," Edward whispered reverently as she reached out to brush a lone tear from his cheek. "I don't care about the timing or that we didn't plan it. Are you happy?"

 _Am I happy_?

Bella looked around at her family; her happy, healthy, adoring family. She had the most wonderful group of people to call her own, including a kind, caring husband-to-be and two beautiful children – now with one more on the way.

"I've never been happier," she finally admitted, biting her lip.

"Mamma, what's p-pegnant?" Bodhi asked sweetly, cocking his head as Marley perched on Edward's knee.

Sniffling, Bella caressed Bodhi's cheek. "It means we're having a baby, sweet boy. You'll be a big brother. Is that okay?"

Bodhi shared a look with Marley before leaning in to whisper, "C-can I b-boss the baby l-like Marley b-bosses m-me?"

At three years old, Bodhi hadn't quite mastered the art of lowering his voice to a real whisper; the entire table burst into loud laughter, Bodhi's ears flaming red when he realised they'd all heard him.

"Yeah, _tesoro_ ," Edward chuckled, squeezing Marley. "You can be bossy like your sister when the new baby gets here."

Bodhi shrugged, "I g-guess it's ok-kay then."

"Marley, what do you think? Do you want another baby brother or sister?"

She beamed. "Of course! But if you could get me a sister, that'd be really cool. Bodhi doesn't let me play with his hair anymore."

Edward barked a laugh, planting a loud smooch on Marley's cheek just to hear her giggle. "I hate to break it to you, little sweet, but nobody gets to choose whether the baby's a boy or a girl. And you know…if our baby isn't a girl, Zia Rose and Zio Em's baby might be."

Marley's eyes sparkled with glee as the peered over at her teary-eyed aunt and uncle – or 'zia' and 'zio,' in Italian. Edward was desperately trying to teach the children a little of his birth language. So far, they were loving the challenge and picking it up pretty easily. "So, I've got a fifty-fifty chance of getting my girl? _Perfetto_."

As she was passed around between everyone's arms, the opposite way to Rosalie who was receiving the same treatment, Bella couldn't help but feel glad she'd chosen to do this despite being so early in her pregnancy. It was a risk, for sure, and she knew the kids would be especially hard to tell if anything went wrong, but she didn't want to live her life that way anymore, expecting the worst all the time.

Bella finally found herself in Charlie's arms. His gaze was filled with tears as he held her hands between them, huffing out a breath and rolling his eyes at his emotional outburst when he couldn't stifle a shaky exhale.

"Jesus, Bells. You're just…you make me a happy dad, you know that?"

Bella sniffled a laugh and let go of his hands to wipe away his tears with her thumbs. It was a very maternal gesture and only served to make Charlie more emotional.

"I don't know if I've ever told you this, but you're every bit your mother's daughter, and then some. You're all the best bits of my Penelope, and I'm so very proud of you, baby girl."

 _Sodding hormones_ , Bella thought as she reached up to dash the waterfall of emotion from her cheeks. "Dad—" She croaked.

"No, I'm serious, baby." Charlie's moustache twitched with his rueful grin. "I missed out on you becoming a parent for the first time, Bells, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you. But to know that I get to be here from the start and help you navigate this path now, with _three_ children…" He blew out a long breath, shaking his head. "You're brave, baby girl. Three kids is…a lot."

Her eyes moved over his shoulder, Charlie's gaze following. She was watching Edward holding Bodhi on his hip as he laughed and congratulated Rosalie, drawing her in for a hug. As she stepped back he murmured something to Bodhi. The little boy laughed loudly with his hands over his mouth, the sight giving Bella a physical ache in her chest as she watched them interact.

"I think we'll be okay," Bella said softly, facing her dad again when he chuckled.

"You know what? I think you're right. I love you, baby girl. Congratulations. And thank you – for giving me another grandbaby to love on."

With a kiss to Charlie's cheek and an amused roll of her eyes, Bella sighed indulgently. "The things I do to make you happy. This is the last one though, all right? No more grandbabies from me after this one."

As Edward frowned and shook his head, shooting his father-in-law-to-be a wink over Bella's shoulder, Charlie's eyes twinkled; he nodded and pretended to look sad. "Yeah, if you say so, baby girl."

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Four weeks later ~ October 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019**_

Bella stared into his mismatched – one-blue, one-brown – eyes.

"Why do they always take forever when we're in a rush? Huh?"

Sammy's tongue flopped out of his mouth, a happy whine making Bella smile and shake her head as she pushed off the sofa and made her way to the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, I know you're on their side, buddy. What was I thinking?"

The sound of Edward talking to the children upstairs made Bella's smile widen. She couldn't resist sneaking up to listen.

"Daddy, will we have to share our room with the baby?" Marley asked sweetly.

Edward laughed. "No, little sweet. The baby will sleep in our room until he or she is around a year old, probably, like Bodhi did."

"Oh. Well, what about after?"

Bella frowned, resting her hand over her barely-there bump as she waited for Edward's answer. Unlike her previous two pregnancies, her bump was already visible, even at just eight weeks.

She knew Edward was desperate to move out and get their own home. He'd hinted at the idea often enough for her to be sure it was what he wanted. The only thing putting her off was the idea of her dad being left in the house alone. The image of him there, all on his own, broke her heart. Her father's happiness weighed heavily on her mind and Bella would never be happy knowing she'd upset him by leaving – voluntarily, this time.

"I don't know what we'll do after, little sweet. That's sort of up to your mamma, but we'll figure it out. Right, speaking of Mamma…shall we get our butts in gear before she comes up here to kick 'em?"

Marley and Bodhi laughed, Bella scarpering quickly so they wouldn't know she'd been ear-wigging. By the time they made it downstairs she had her coat on and the dogs were settled in their beds with a stuffed hoof each to keep them occupied for an hour or two.

Today was an exciting day.

Today, for the first time, Bella and Edward – and Marley and Bodhi – were getting to see their new baby.

Edward drew Bella into his arms as the children pulled on their shoes and Marley helped Bodhi put the correct arms in the corresponding sleeves of his jacket. "How're you feeling now, _mi amore_?"

Bella rocked her head side-to-side, pursing her lips. "Better than earlier, thank you."

Edward's eyes were a soft grassy green as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face. " _Bene_."

Morning sickness had begun a week ago and had Bella up at five a.m. every morning since. Once she'd thrown up a couple of times, she usually felt fine throughout the day, only for it to creep back in late in the evenings. This was the part of pregnancy she remembered the best because it had plagued her right up until a few weeks before Bodhi's birth. So far, the sickness, already-visible bump, and rapidly fluctuating hormones were the only changes Bella was experiencing.

As Bella buckled Bodhi into his car seat, double-checking Marley's because the increasingly independent girl liked to, 'do it myself, Mamma!', a thought occurred to her.

"Edward, we're going to have to change cars when this one comes," Bella said once they were on their way to the hospital.

"Why?"

"The car seats. They're too wide to fit another one in the middle, really. We'd need something more like Dad's car, or at least something wider."

Edward hummed, glancing in the rear-view mirror at the slim gap between Marley's seat and Bodhi's; Bella was right. "I'll make a few calls and get a new list."

" _Another_ list?" Bella laughed. "Can't you just revisit the old list?"

"Don't be silly, _mi amore_. We need a new list. Don't worry, I'll sort it."

"Mamma?" Bodhi called, smiling sweetly when Bella twisted to face him. "C-can I have my juice, p-please?"

Bella fished his _Paw Patrol_ bottle from her handbag, handing it over and tapping her cheek. Bodhi giggled and blew her a kiss, his beautiful blue-green eyes sparkling with delight when she pretended to catch it, tap it against her cheek, then stash it in her pocket.

When they arrived at the hospital, Edward reminded the children to hold either his hand or Bella's, then they made their way inside, heading for the check-in desk.

Edward bit back an animalistic growl when the guy manning the desk couldn't stop himself flirting with her.

"So, love, you just need to take a left, then a right and you'll see the reception just ahead."

"C'mon, _love_ ," Edward snapped, smiling sarcastically when the receptionist noticed his looming presence at Bella's back. "We know they way. Let's go see our baby, huh?"

With a soft laugh and a squeeze of their linked hands as they walked down the corridor, Bella shook her head and shot Edward an indulgent smile. "You get stroppy with that guy every time we come here, Hubs. Cool it."

"Yeah, D-Daddy. C-cool it."

"Cool it? Cool it, huh?" Edward growled playfully, scooping Bodhi into his arms to tickle his belly with loud raspberries. They made the waiting area just as Bodhi let out a delighted squeal, and Bella couldn't ignore the momentary jolt of jealousy she felt at seeing all the women swooning over her Edward. She couldn't blame them, but it still wasn't comfortable to watch.

Dressed in a simple pair of dark jeans, a cream knit sweater, and his trusty _Timberlands_ , Edward looked delicious. It didn't help that Bodhi had insisted on matching his daddy – he, too, was dressed in his baby _Timberlands,_ a pair of jeans, and a cream knit sweater. Their different hair colours didn't match, but their mile-wide, dimpled grins made them look every bit the doting daddy and adoring son.

"Edward, tone down the adorable. There are a dozen very hormonal women about to jump you and just as many men ready to kill you."

Edward shot Bella a smirk in response to her whispered warning, slumping into a seat beside her and Marley with Bodhi panting giggles on his lap. "Noted, _mi amore_. I'll be more careful."

"Mamma, can the b-baby talk to u-us?" Bodhi asked softly, reaching out to pat Bella on the arm.

"No, silly Beesy," Marley laughed with a roll of her eyes. "Babies can't talk yet, _duh._ "

"Marley…" Bella warned gently, raising her eyebrows at her daughter. "No need to speak to your brother like that, thank you very much. He was just asking a question."

Abashed, Marley apologised and offered her brother a smile. "The baby can't talk yet, but it can hear us, right Daddy?"

Edward nodded. "Right, little sweet. We all talked to you all the time when you were growing in Mamma's tummy, Beesy."

For Bodhi, this information was amazing but hard to absorb. He looked down at Bella's tummy, then between his parents with an astounded expression. "Really? I d-don't remember!"

"That's okay, sweet boy," Bella laughed. "You were really little then."

"Uh, have I got a Miss Swan here?"

"That's me! Come on then; let's go meet our baby."

Marley and Bodhi charmed the nurse while she got Bella measured up – taking her weight, blood pressure, and asking about her symptoms. By the time Bella was laying on the table with Marley perched on one of Edward's knees and Bodhi the other, Kylie – the nurse – was in love with the little family.

"All right, you lovely lot," she sang. "Shall we take a look at your baby?"

"Yes!" Marley and Bodhi chimed, bouncing eagerly as Edward chuckled and reminded them to sit still.

Smiling gently, Kylie murmured, "Bella, sweetheart, this may be a little cold."

As soon as Kylie pressed the ultrasound wand to Bella's belly, the distinct shape of an eight-week-old foetus became visible. He or she was side-on, so they got a perfect profile shot as he or she bobbed around.

"There we are. There's your baby," Kylie trilled happily, pointing to the baby's head, stubby arms and legs, then his or her heart. "Lovely, strong heart."

Edward's chest puffed up with pride as he took in the miniature form of his baby. It was one thing to see the slight curve of Bella's belly and know the baby was in there; it was a whole other experience to actually see the baby. Tears gathered in his eyes as Bella turned to look at him, rivers running over her cheeks.

"Mamma! You're crying!"

"Happy tears," Bella promised, reaching out to hold a worried Bodhi's hand. "Can you see our baby, sweet boy?"

"Yeah," He said with a silly smile. "S'really little."

Kylie, Edward, and Bella laughed.

"He or she will grow very quickly, honey," Kylie told them, taking a few measurements for the records. "Everything your mummy eats is very important right now, so help her have lots of yummy meals and your baby will get big and strong."

"Okay! Mamma, you gots to eat l-lots of veggies," Bodhi told her with a pointed finger and a frown.

With a wide, adoring smile, Bella squeezed Bodhi's knee and nodded, crossing her heart. "I promise to eat lots of veggies, baby boy."

"G-good."

Kylie explained what they were looking at as she turned the wand this way and that to get as many angles and images as possible. Bodhi and Marley giggled when she said the baby looked just like them. And both Bella and Edward couldn't stifle their smiles or their tears when Kylie hit the button to turn on audio, the thrum-thrum-thrum of their baby's heartbeat filling the room.

"What's that, Daddy?" Bodhi whispered.

"That's our baby's heartbeat, _tesoro_. Here – feel this." Edward put Bodhi's small hand over his chest, so he'd be able to feel his heart beating within, then he nodded toward the monitor pumping out the sound of the baby's heart. "That noise is our baby's heart. It means he's strong."

"Oh, 'he,' is it?" Bella asked with a smirk.

"Just a hunch," Edward admitted with a shrug. In truth, he wouldn't be upset whether the baby was a boy _or_ a girl; he didn't mind either way as long as he or she was healthy and strong.

But yes, he did have a niggling hunch that the baby was a boy. Edward had no idea why, but ever since Bella had told him they were having a baby, all he'd been able to picture was a sweet little boy just like Bodhi, but with his copper hair rather than her natural strawberry-blonde.

Before they left, Kylie made sure to print plenty of pictures for them to take home, even going so far as to give Bodhi and Marley their own copies. They were delighted and clambered over her for hugs before being corralled out of the room by their parents who were wearing ear-to-ear smiles. There was nothing more comforting than seeing their healthy baby growing right on target; hearing the heartbeat, which wasn't a guarantee so early, was the icing on the cake.

Within ten minutes of leaving the hospital, Bella and Edward's phones began to ping with incoming messages.

He chuckled, guessing, "Everyone wanting pictures already?"

Rosalie's ultrasound had been two days earlier despite her being a day behind Bella, and they'd all harassed her and Emmett as soon after their appointment as possible; Bella had been expecting messages while she was still in the doctor's office, if she was honest. Her family were nothing if not impatient when it came to any news about the babies.

Bella read the messages from Rosalie, her dad, and Esme, nodding. "Yep. I'll tell them to be patient. We're seeing them all later, anyway."

Earlier in the week, Rosalie's youngest sister, Heidi, had gotten engaged to her long-term boyfriend, Harvey. Tonight, the entire family was gathering at the local sports club for their engagement party, where Harvey played for the county team. The children were over-the-moon excited to be going to a party, although not half as keen when they were told Heidi had chosen a formal dress code.

Rosalie had attempted to talk her out of it, bearing in mind the casual location, but she'd been dead-set on everyone wearing suits and dresses.

Bella, Esme, and Rosalie had spent an entire morning and half an afternoon in town hunting for dresses for themselves and Marley, only for the two mums-to-be to come away feeling exhausted and frustrated at being unable to find anything that both flattered their burgeoning bumps without just making them look like they'd gained weight.

Just as expected, Charlie played the Pawpaw card with Marley and Bodhi to get them to show him their pictures of the baby. He shed a tear when they took turns pointing out the baby's features; Bodhi bounced up and down and made his pawpaw and parents laugh with his excitement over hearing the baby's 'heart-beep.'

"Heart- _beat_ , _tesoro_ ," Edward chuckled, ruffling his son's hair as he joined Bella at the breakfast bar where she'd spread the rest of their images out on the counter. "Looking good, huh, _mi amore_?"

Bella smiled, leaning back into his chest. "Yeah. Very good." She turned a little to peer up at his Cheshire-cat grin. "Was it weird for you?"

"Weird? No. It was…well, it was just amazing. I mean, I've seen scans before, obviously. With Beesy, and Arch's boys. But there's something really mad about looking at that little bean on the screen and knowing _I_ helped make it. Half of that bean was from me." He reached up to tug at his hair, the emerald of his eyes seeming to glow with the happiness radiating from within.

There weren't words to describe how happy it made Bella feel to see him glowing and so very excited about this new chapter of their lives. She knew he loved and adored Marley and Bodhi as if they were his own, but she also knew just how much it meant to him to be having another baby, and to know that he'd helped to create it. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Edward had bonded fiercely with his little sweet and _tesoro_ , no doubt at all, and Bella loved knowing that she could trust him with every fibre of her being to continue bonding with them even though he was now having a biological child of his own.

Looking back down at the images laid out on the work top, Bella sighed and felt her heart expanding, her hand resting over her growing bean's home for the next seven months until he or she was ready to join their family.

She wondered if he or she would have her hair or Edward's, her blue-green eyes or Edward's grassy green. She wondered if the baby would inherit his crooked smile or the delicate features she'd gotten from her mom, Penelope.

But most of all, she wondered if she could possibly be happier, because at that moment with her Hubs' arms around her and her children babbling excitedly to their Pawpaw about their new baby brother or sister, there was absolutely nothing that could make this deliriously blissful moment any better.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Happy Sunday! We officially hit 200 reviews last chapter!  
*cue pompoms* tff000 you were the 200th reviewer :)**

 **I tried to get to as many reviews as possible, but if  
I missed you, I'm very sorry! Each and every review means  
so very much to me, so thank you.**

 *****IMPORTANT***  
** **As you'll probably know, alerts have been messing up for  
** **a week or so now. If you haven't already, please go back and  
** **make sure you've read chapter 8 before reading this one, or it  
won't make a lot of sense lol.**

 **Big thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and  
** annaharding **for all their hard work and general  
awesomeness.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Nine**

 _ **Ten weeks later ~ December 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2019**_

"Marley Rosalie Swan! Get your butt down here, or I'm tossing out all your Christmas presents!"

"Mamma?"

Bella felt a tug on the hem of her t-shirt; she looked down at Bodhi. "Yeah, baby?"

He frowned. "Is Santa n-not bringing our p-presents?"

 _Shit._ Running a hand through her hair, Bella huffed. "Of course, he is. I, ummm, I—"

"Where are my shoes, Mamma?" Marley yelled, saving Bella from having to think of something to get out of the hole she'd dug herself.

"Bodhi, sweetheart, please can you grab your jacket? We'll talk about Santa later, okay?"

"'Kay, Mamma."

"Praise Jesus for a kid that listens," Bella sighed, leaning back against the wall as Bodhi sprinted off into the kitchen where he'd left his coat after they walked the dog earlier. Marley clomped to the top of the stairs, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she huffed and threw her hands in the air.

"I can't find them _anywhere_!" she cried.

"Marley, I'm sure they're here somewhere. Have you checked the hall closet?"

"Yes!"

"All right, Marley. That's it with the attitude. Just…put some shoes on and get down here, please. We're already late."

Marley stomped off toward her room, the door slamming behind her.

Today of all days, Bella needed her daughter to be in a less confrontational mood and for Edward to be on time.

However, Marley had woken up on the wrong side of the bed and been in a foul mood ever since, and Edward had gotten stuck in traffic on his way back from an early meeting and was still trying to get home with only ten minutes until they needed to be leaving for an important appointment.

Even as she rummaged through the under-stairs cupboard in search of Marley's shoes five minutes later, because her daughter absolutely refused to wear anything other than her beloved purple _Converse_ , Bella couldn't stifle the smile that curled her lips at the thought of today's meeting.

Today, she and Rosalie were finding out whether they were having boys or girls. They were due just one day apart, with Rosalie due May 11th and Bella, May 10th, and they'd booked in to have their gender scans the same afternoon. Now eighteen weeks pregnant, they were both far enough along for the sonographer to be able to tell if they were carrying boys or girls. Everyone was taking bets – so far, Rosalie was tipped to have a girl, while everyone was adamant that Bella's baby was a boy.

Both women were just pleased to be carrying healthy babies.

By the time Edward arrived home, a full half-hour late, Bella was frazzled and ready to crawl back into bed for the rest of the day. The forty-minute drive out to the clinic in Heathfield didn't appeal at all after having to put Marley in time-out twice and informing her that she was grounded from the second they got home for her poor attitude.

"Oh, _finally_ ," Bella grumbled when Edward walked through the front door.

"Sorry, sorry," he rushed out, tossing his bag and jacket on the rack before taking the stairs two at a time. "Give me two minutes to get changed, _mi amore_!"

Bella settled the dogs with bones, both of them happy to chill out after their long walk earlier in the morning, then rounded up the children and loaded them into the car. Edward took just long enough getting changed that Bella was starting to get annoyed when he ran out of the house toward the car.

She should have been excited to find out if the baby kicking her bladder at all hours and causing funny flutters in her belly at inopportune times, like when she was sleeping, was a boy or a girl.

Instead, she was exhausted and wanted to fall into bed with a tub of ice cream and _Jeremy Kyle_ on the TV. Nothing cured stress better than watching other people's drama or seeing Jeremy give a particularly rude guest a dressing-down for their behaviour.

"I really am sorry, Bella," Edward murmured as he pulled off the driveway, steering them toward the bypass that would lead them to the clinic.

"I know," she sighed, bumping her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes. "I'm just...tired."

As they stopped at a red light, Edward quickly leaned over and rested his lips against her bump; it was huge. She wasn't even halfway through yet, but Bella's baby was measuring bigger than average on almost everything, her bump jutting out almost as far at just eighteen weeks than it had at thirty-six weeks when she gave birth to Marley. Undernourished as she was, Bella's bump been small for a few weeks shy of full-term with her daughter, but the same sized bump was large for just eighteen weeks. She'd been big with Bodhi, too, but not quite _this_ big, and especially not so early.

It was for this reason that everyone was betting the baby within was a boy, and that Rosalie's much smaller, but still cute, bump was housing a girl.

"Hey, son. Be good to Mamma, okay? She needs to get some sleep, so she's less cranky—"

"Hey!" Bella cried, shaking her head as Edward righted himself and laughed, setting off again.

"What? It's true. You're cranky when you don't get enough sleep. Right, kids?"

"Right, Daddy!" Marley agreed with a cheeky snicker.

"Mamma, I d-don't think you're c-cranky."

Bella turned her head to offer Bodhi a smile and a wink. "Thanks, baby boy. For that, you can have a _McFlurry_ on the way home, and stinky Marley and Daddy won't have any."

"Yay!" Bodhi did a fist-pump; he'd clearly been spending too much time with his Uncle Emmett.

Thanks to her phone being hooked up to the car speakers, Marley and Bodhi got to cheer 'hellos' to Rosalie when she called a little while later to check that they were on their way.

"Yeah, we're about ten minutes away. Right, Edward?"

Edward nodded, "Right. We'll be there soon. Have you guys parked?"

" _Yeah. We're parked just down the street though, so keep an eye out for Em's car. We're outside the dentist place, because the car park was, and I quote, 'too goddamn tiny._ '"

"Ooh, Aunt Rose said a bad word, Mamma!" Marley giggled. "You've gotta pay the swear jar, Aunt Rose!"

" _Sorry, Mars! But you need to hit up Uncle Em for swear jar money, sweetheart. I was just repeating what he said."_

"Mamma, does that count?"

Bella shook her head 'no.' "Nope. That's not how it works, and you know it, Ro."

" _Darn. Okay,_ " Rosalie laughed, _"I'll owe you a pound when you get here, okay?_ "

"'Kay, Aunt Rose!" Marley sang, pleased with herself.

" _All right, well I'll let you go. See you soon!_ "

"Yep. See you soon."

 **~ oOo ~**

"Whoa! Your baby has grown loads!"

Everyone cracked up at Marley's stunned outburst.

Thanks to Charlie and Peter having recently renovated the sonographer's home, they'd managed to get around the usual two-guest rule and had been given the biggest room in the building so everyone would fit.

Rosalie was first up on the table, with Emmett in the chair beside her. Then Bella, Edward, Charlie, Peter, Esme, Carlisle, Marley, and Bodhi had piled in after them, much to the amusement of the sonographer. There wasn't enough room for everyone to sit, but a spare chair had been pulled in for Bella, and Bodhi had immediately climbed onto her lap so he could see the screen.

As Kylie moved the wand over Rosalie's bump, trying to find the best shots of her baby, Marley couldn't contain her surprise at how much Rosalie's baby had grown since she accompanied Rosalie and Emmett to their twelve-week scan.

"Yeah, little missy," Emmett chuckled, ruffling Marley's hair even though he couldn't pull his eyes from his baby on the screen. "She's grown a whole lot, huh?"

"Still betting on a girl?" Rosalie whispered, teary-eyed but smiling wide.

"Sure am. She's beautiful, just like her mummy."

There were titters of laughter around the room; Emmett's American accent was slowly fading away, his words coming out sounding more British every day.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Kylie," Peter chuckled, reaching out to squeeze Emmett's shoulder as he waved a hand at her. "Put us out of our misery."

Kylie's dark brown eyes were full of twinkly-eyed happiness as she moved the wand around a little bit, showing them a perfect profile as she met Rosalie and Emmett's gaze in turn. "I'm very pleased to tell you…"

Everyone sucked in their breath, waiting.

"You're having a boy! Congratulations, Mummy and Daddy! You were wrong. Baby McCarty is most definitely a boy."

"Oh…" Emmett breathed, tears tumbling over his cheeks as his smile widened.

"A boy? Are you sure?" Rosalie laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh my God, he's going to be so mad at us! We've been calling him a girl for weeks now!"

Congratulations, hugs, and kisses were passed to the overjoyed parents as Kylie took the necessary measurements. Marley turned to her mamma and sternly informed her that her baby 'better be a girl.'

Kylie laughed as Bella and Rosalie switched places, the latter clutching a handful of pictures of her baby boy. "You know, sweetheart, your mummy doesn't get to choose."

Marley shrugged, "I've been wishing. You know, like how you always say, Mimi? On the big, bright star?"

Esme beamed and blew a kiss to Marley. "You're right, baby girl. But you know, babies are the only ones who get to choose if they're a boy or a girl. And even if it's a boy and you're getting another baby brother, it's extra special because that baby boy has chosen you to be his big sister. It's a very important job, being a big sister to a brother, and you do such a good job with Bodhi."

Marley visibly puffed up with pride, the adults in the room laughing lightly at her beaming grin. "I guess it's okay if the baby's a boy, Mamma. Mimi's right – I _am_ very good at being a big sister to this little brother, so I can do it again."

Bodhi squealed and giggled when Marley leaned over to blow a raspberry on his cheek, the entire room delighting in the sweet bond the siblings shared. As Kylie smeared the cool jelly on her stomach, then began wiggling the wand around to get the shots she needed, Bella sucked in a deep breath and wondered if this baby would feel the same bond with Marley and Bodhi as they shared with one another.

Edward had taken Emmett's seat, but he called Marley and Bodhi over and lifted the little boy onto his lap while Marley stretched up on her tiptoes to see the screen better. "Look; that's your baby brother."

Marley and Bodhi let out twin sighs of awe, their smiles wide as Kylie pointed out their baby sibling's waving hand.

"Oh, Daddy he's w-waving at us!"

"Yeah, _tesoro_ ," Edward breathed, "he sure is."

"Edward…" Bella warned with raised eyebrows. "We don't _know_ 'he' is a he."

All eyes expectantly turned to Kylie. She was wearing a small, secretive smile.

Just as it had been when they were waiting to hear the gender of Rosalie and Emmett's baby, the air in the room was tense and saturated with excited anticipation. Edward's heart raced in his chest as he held Bodhi with one hand and twined his free fingers with Bella's. As much as he'd joked about being sure the baby was a boy, he really didn't mind. He loved Marley and Bodhi equally, and this baby would be exactly the same whether it was a he or a she.

"Oh, the anticipation is killing me!" Esme whispered loudly, earning a round of chuckles.

"All right, shall I put you out of your misery, too?"

Bella looked around at all the expectant faces. Edward looked close to tears, just as he had been through every scan so far. Marley and Bodhi were all-but vibrating with excitement, much like Esme, who was being held down by Carlisle; Bella was sure she'd have bounced clean through the ceiling with excitement without his gentle hold around her waist.

Rosalie and Emmett were still riding the high of finding out that they were having a boy. Bella couldn't be more excited for them as a couple and as her best friends.

Peter was grinning as he nudged Charlie with his elbow. They'd been the ones to instigate the betting ring surrounding the babies' genders, and so far, Peter was winning. If this baby turned out to be a boy, they'd be even and cancel out each other's bets.

Whether this baby was a boy or a girl wasn't important to Bella. What mattered was that he or she would be loved beyond measure, and with the family they had around them, Bella knew she didn't need to worry about that. This baby would know just as much love as his or her older siblings.

With a beautiful, calm smile, Bella nodded at Kylie. "Yes, please."

For dramatic effect, Kylie held a deep breath, her grin a million miles wide as she blew it out in one big rush and said, "It looks like Little Man McCarty is going to have a built-in best bud from the start. Your little guy is, indeed, a little guy. Congratulations."

 **~ oOo ~**

Hours later, everyone was still basking in the high of the joyous news when Edward grinned down at his phone. "Riley's calling."

Charlie quickly shut off the TV, Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett halting their conversation.

"Hey, man," Edward answered, holding the phone up so Riley could see his face.

" _Edward._ " The expectant look on Riley's face told Edward exactly why he'd called. " _Come on then. Am I about to become a rich man?_ "

There were chuckles all-round as Edward told him to check his phone in a moment. They all heard the beep once Bella had sent him the photo she'd posed for right after they returned from the clinic. She and Rosalie had prepared ahead of time, buying long-sleeved white t-shirts and paint in two colours – pink and blue – so they could do the gender announcement they'd seen and loved on Pinterest some weeks beforehand.

A litany of curses spewed from Riley's grin as he slapped his free hand on his desk and shook his head. " _Well, damn._ "

The photo Bella had sent was pretty telling. It was of her and Rosalie standing side-by-side, with Emmett and Edward standing behind their respective partners. Their hands were wound around their bumps, joined at the front to create a heart shape over their belly buttons. Underneath was the same photo again, except they'd pulled their hands away to reveal their paint-coloured palms and blue handprints on the white t-shirts.

Riley had bet both babies would be girls, so he was now a hundred dollars down, but didn't look the least bit upset about it when Edward turned the phone toward the women sitting on the other sofa. They were sitting at either end with their feet up and tangled together in the middle, Sammy squeezed into the gap behind their legs.

" _Congratulations, ladies!_ "

"Thank you, Riley!" they trilled in unison with bright smiles.

" _How'd the little ones take the news? I know Mars was hoping for a girl._ "

"They're happy," Bella promised. "Marley was appeased when Esme reminded her she can play dress-up and hairdresser with Poppy's Chloe."

" _Ah, that's all right then._ "

They chatted about their pregnancies and Riley's busy life out in New York for a while, then, after a brief pause, Riley cleared his throat and admitted he had another reason for calling.

" _So, I've got news of my own._ "

Everyone sat up a little straighter, responding to the sudden seriousness of his tone and expression.

" _It's nothing bad, just thought I'd tell you now rather than leave it until after Christmas._ "

"All right, come on then. Out with it," Edward said with a sigh, raking a hand through his hair.

" _I looked into Lucien's business like you asked. All above board and he's definitely who he says he is. He's got the residence over here and the one he mentioned to you just outside of London. No previous marriages or other children. Everything adds up._ "

"All right. Thank you. What else? I'm assuming that's not it," Bella called, trying to speed past the subject of Paul. Everyone, including her, was still fuming with him for his no-show a couple of months previous. His reason had been he was stuck in unexpected meetings, but it hadn't gone down well with anyone. Bodhi especially, who'd refused to play with him when he visited the following week and had insisted Bella take him home after just fifteen minutes. Their subsequent visits had been better, but Paul still wasn't completely forgiven.

Riley chuckled, admitting, " _No, that's not all._ _I've had a team working on tracking down Remi Wilson. We've found his previous address, so I sent a couple of men to check it out. He's not there, but his son and daughter are. You were right, Edward – the man's sick. He's…well, to put it bluntly, he doesn't have long left. A year, maybe, but probably less according to his kids. Bowel cancer spread to his liver and lungs. He's in a hospice, just, waiting…_ "

Nobody needed him to clarify what he was waiting for. The man was undoubtedly very sick, which was exactly what they'd deduced from the wording of his letter and the look of him in the photo he'd sent.

Bella blew out a long breath and ran her hands over her bump, feeling for her son's foot when he landed a solid kick against her touch. "So…what do we do? Do we write back? I'm assuming they gave you the details of the hospice where he's staying?"

" _Yeah, Bells, they did. He's in Washington, or Seattle, to be exact."_ Riley huffed, scowling. " _It seems he comes from there originally, and I guess he got tangled up with Smith at some point. I can't find a lot of information on him, to be honest, although we'll keep looking."_

" _I told the son and daughter that Wilson had written to an old acquaintance, and you were looking for him to respond, but I didn't tell them who it was or why he'd contacted you. I wanted to leave that up to you. I mean, obviously, you can leave it there if you want to. There's no obligation to respond at all, if that's what you want. God knows, the piece of shit doesn't deserve your time."_

"No, he doesn't," Bella agreed, sharing a loaded look with Rosalie. "But we deserve an apology. A proper one, not a half-assed letter."

"What are you thinking, Bells?" Charlie asked with obvious trepidation.

Bella breathed out a long sigh and offered him a smile laced with an expression of regret. "You're not going to like it."

Charlie was shaking his head 'no' before she'd even finished speaking. "No, Bells. Not happening. You want to go _see him_?"

Riley hissed through the phone. _"Shit, Bells…really? Rose? What do you think?"_

Despite her nerves, Rosalie had made Bella a promise. One she wasn't going to back out on now. "I'm in. I'm with Bella – we _should_ go. We deserve to look him in the eye and make him realise what he's done, Riley."

"Fucking hell, girls!" Charlie growled, throwing himself out of his chair to pace a circuit around the room. "You've gotta be kidding me! You're both _pregnant_ , for Christ's sake!"

"We can still fly right up until thirty-six weeks, Dad—"

"Bella," Edward interrupted gently. "I know you technically _can_ fly up until then, but both little sweet and _tesoro_ were born at thirty-six weeks. It would be really-fucking-risky to leave it that late, just in case."

Throwing her hands in the air, Bella huffed, "Well, we'll go sooner, then! Riley, how soon could you arrange for us to pay this guy a visit?"

" _Realistically? As soon as you want. And from speaking to his kids, it seems like the sooner, the better."_

Nobody spoke for a while. Everyone took some time to just absorb the news and the decision Bella and Rosalie had made. Emmett was supportive when they'd initially discussed the possibility of visiting Wilson, but that was before they'd known Rosalie was pregnant. The baby boy growing in her uterus negated his reasoning that he could protect her from anything this guy said. The idea that his innocent baby would have to be there, would have to be within feet of this sick fuck, made Emmett uncomfortable.

"Why don't we just…all take a couple of days to think it over?" Carlisle suggested gently from the window seat. "We can work out a plan of action if you two are serious about going and discuss everyone's concerns."

Everyone agreed that Carlisle's suggestion was a good one, so Riley said 'goodbye,' and they left him to his work, the room quiet as they all mulled over the unexpected twist to the evening.

"I think we're going to head home," Esme said softly, rising from her spot beside Carlisle to kiss Bella's head, then Rosalie's. "We'll see you tomorrow. Around nine?"

Bella nodded, her smile grateful. "Yes, please. We're meeting Paul at the park at half past."

"We'll be here at nine, then."

She and Carlisle went around giving out their 'goodbye' hugs and kisses, closely followed by Peter, Rosalie, and Emmett. By the time it was just Bella, Edward, and Charlie left, Bella's yawns were woefully close together, and her back was aching enough that she couldn't bear to sit still any longer.

"I need to walk around a little bit," she murmured when Edward shot her a quizzical look. "My back's killing me."

His gaze was soft and sympathetic as he got to his feet, gently kneading her lower back and resting his forehead against hers. "You've had a long day, _mi amore_. Come with me; I'll run you a warm bath and then we can get an early night. Sound good?"

Bella sighed, leaning in to peck at Edward's lips. "Sounds _perfetto_." Turning to her dad, she asked, "Do you need the bathroom at all?"

"No, no," He waved a hand dismissively, looking lost in thought. "Go ahead. I'll be up a while yet, anyway."

Seeing the look on Charlie's face and the anxiety in his eyes, Bella felt a flood of guilt for putting this extra weight on his shoulders. Five days before Christmas, and on a celebratory day like today, everyone should be happy and relaxed – winding down for the holidays.

Instead, they would all be worrying about this ' _should we-shouldn't we'_ trip Bella and Rosalie were adamant they take.

As Edward gently led her upstairs, sitting her on the closed toilet lid while he ran the bath, Bella felt a tear roll over her cheek.

"Bella! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Edward fell to a crouch in front of her, brushing the tear away with his thumb, a concerned knot bunching his eyebrows. "Bella…talk to me, _please_."

"I just… _God_ , this is so ridiculous, isn't it? Wanting to go and meet this Wilson man, I mean." Her watery eyes moved down to the bump jutting out from her mid-section. "Am I insane?"

"Bella, I…" Edward reached up to tug at his hair. It was a mess and still bore traces of glitter from his arty session with the kids that afternoon. "Look, I won't lie to you. I don't understand why you need to go see him."

"Edward—"

"Wait, wait," Edward interrupted, smiling apologetically. "I may not understand it, but if we can work out a way to get this done and go, _safely_ , I'll support your decision. That's not to say I like it, because, hell…I don't. Not one bit. To be honest, it screams of panic attacks and setbacks. But, if this is what it takes to give you peace of mind…" he breathed a long sigh, emerald eyes troubled but defeated. "Then that's what we'll do, and you'll have me at your side the entire damn time."

At almost five months pregnant and more than a little overwhelmed by the day's events, it was no surprise to Edward _or_ Bella that she immediately burst into floods of tears, throwing herself into his arms.

"Th-thank you, Hubs. I d-don't know what I'd do without y-you!" she sobbed against his shoulder, all the excitement and shock and worries of the day overflowing in torrents of tears. Edward chuckled softly, brushing a hand over her soft, chocolate tresses and down her back; he repeated the gesture over and over until she was calm enough to sit back and face him again.

"I'm sorry," Bella murmured shakily, pulling some tissue from the roll beside the toilet to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. "Pregnancy sure isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Edward grinned that crooked, double-dimpled smile Bella loved the most. "Are you okay now?" She nodded, so he asked, "Do you still want that bath?"

The tub was half-full already and the bubbles he'd added smelled divine – too nice to resist – so Bella nodded again and let Edward gently strip off her clothes, his touch tender and sweet as he peppered her cheeks with kisses before helping her climb in. The water felt glorious, and as soon as she sank down the ever-present ache in her back from carrying such a large bump began to abate.

Edward laughed at the blissful sigh that escaped Bella's lips as she rested her head back against the towel he folded and tucked between her neck and the wall. "Good, _mi amore_?"

"Amazing," she groaned. With her eyes closed, Bella didn't see the way the sound went straight to Edward's groin, his chest heaving with a silent sigh.

It didn't help that it had been almost a week since they'd been together. As Bella's bump ballooned, so did her insecurities. Her obstetrician had commented on her large size at every appointment, which hadn't helped, but did prove it wasn't just Bella noticing how big she was already. The baby himself was on the bigger side, too – long and chunky, according to Kylie at the scan earlier in the day. He was showing all the signs of being just as big as his dad, which was a good sign in terms of his strength and health, but not so great for Bella. Already, at only eighteen weeks, he was taking his toll on her petite frame and the way she thought she looked.

To Edward, there was no sight more beautiful than his _amore_ , rounded and glowing as she nurtured their unborn son. Now that the morning sickness was more limited to mornings and evenings, she'd managed to get her appetite back and was looking healthier than ever. A glorious late summer had given her skin a sun-kissed glow, and the weight she'd gained only exaggerated the curves Edward loved so much.

His hands constantly itched to touch, his eyes forever roaming over her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Recently, if Bella caught him staring, she'd cover up or become self-conscious, so he'd become adept at ogling her while she was busy helping Bodhi cut up his lunch, or when she was plaiting Marley's hair after her before-bed bath. Despite the winter chill, Bella was forever complaining about the heat only she could feel, and she'd taken to wearing the lightest clothes possible. To Edward's delight, this often included jersey shorts and thin dresses.

The light splashing of Bella washing herself brought Edward back to the present. He bit the inside of his cheek to stifle a whiny groan as she used the sponge to lather herself, her honey-toned skin glistening in the bathroom lights.

"I'm—Uh, I'm gonna go…check on the kids."

Bella frowned but quickly plastered a smile across her face, nodding and refusing to meet his gaze. "Okay."

Edward all-but ran down the hall from the bathroom, cursing under his breath as he tried to get himself under control. Not so long ago, he'd have made a joke about her being wet, and they'd have shared the bath, likely making a big mess like they had many times. Now, though…it was all Edward could do to bite his tongue. He hated that Bella felt less than beautiful, because to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he hated that whenever he complimented her, she got uncomfortable and assumed he was lying to make her feel better.

Sucking in a deep breath, he quietly let himself into the children's room and smiled. Marley and Bodhi had insisted on a 'sleepover,' both of them making a nest in the bottom of their teepee tent in the corner when Edward had brought them to bed. They were still there, fast asleep and curled around one another with Mr. Eddie and Mr. Teddy snug between them.

Without waking them, Edward crept closer and managed to snap a photo, unable to stifle the swell of pride as he gazed down at his babies. They were beyond beautiful; their sweet little faces were relaxed in sleep, and they were holding each other's hands, their bond undeniable even when they were unconscious.

Fleetingly, as he settled himself on the carpet leaning against Bodhi's bed just to watch them for a little while, Edward wondered if the little boy Bella currently carried would share such a strong bond with his half-brother and -sister. Of course, he hoped they would be just as close. Their enormous extended, blended family was already proof that blood wasn't necessarily everything.

Gazing at Marley and Bodhi, their similarities were surprisingly few and far between – in appearance, anyway. Marley had long, wavy, chocolate locks while Bodhi's head was topped with tight golden curls. They shared the same eye colour, their mother and grandfather's gorgeous sea-blue, both sets framed by enviably long lashes, but Bodhi's were almond-shaped – a gift from his biological father – while Marley's were round and guileless, set in her mother's heart-shaped face.

As Marley fidgeted in her sleep, Bodhi shifting slightly to accommodate her movement, they stretched out alongside each other. Edward shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. They were both getting so _big_ ; overnight, it seemed. Having met Paul and seen him in person, Edward knew both Marley and Bodhi had inherited his height. Even though Marley had her mother's petite frame, she was already taller than a lot of girls in her class. And Bodhi…Edward grinned, seeing Charlie in his stocky grandson. He'd seen plenty of photos of Charlie as a kid, and Bodhi was him made-over.

Huffing out a long breath, Edward decided to stop worrying so much. Marley and Bodhi, despite their different appearances, were both the most loving children. How could he doubt that they'd be anything other than their usual, adorable, affectionate selves, regardless of the fact that their new brother would have Edward's blood running through his veins?

* * *

 **As you may know, Pinky Promises is in the running to win Top Ten Fics of 2017 over at the TwiFanfictionRecs site! You can vote once a day, so make sure you vote for all your faves.**

 **Also...to my absolute shock, Pinky Promises has been nominated in TWO categories in the TwiFic Awards - Favourite Potential Bestseller and Favourite MY EMOTIONS fic  
Promises to Keep has been nominated in the Favourite 5Ever Fic category  
and I've been nominated in the Favourite Newbie Author category!**

 **It's madness! Thank you so very much to whoever nominated! It's an amazing honour and a total rush to see my name and my stories amongst some of the greats. The first round of voting is now closed, but check back again on Saturday to see the second round. Again, you can vote once a day for your favourites, so make your votes count!**

 **Have a great week, everyone xo**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Hey there! Sorry this is a little late in the day, I  
was at a Dalmatian rally today with my spotty boy and...  
my word, was it mayhem! 22 nutty Dalmatians makes  
for a hectic walk, let me tell you!**

 **Anyways...if you haven't already, check back and make  
sure you've read the last two chapters. FF alerts  
have been spotty the last few weeks, so just check  
that you haven't missed anything :)**

 **As always, huge thank yous go to** annaharding **and  
** SunflowerFran **for all their hard work! You ladies rock!**

 **And thank you to all of you for reading and reviewing!  
** **I've been trying to get to as many as possible to reply  
but if I missed you, I'm so sorry!**

 **Okay, so...here we go. Enjoy!**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Ten**

Christmas was over all-too-quickly.

Before Bella could blink, she and Alice were loading the children into the car to drive them to their first day back at school, their two weeks without classes having flown by. Edward, Archie, Charlie, Peter, and Emmett were all hard at work on a new project, so Alice had volunteered to drive Bella and Marley to school while Esme kidnapped Bodhi for a morning at the farm.

"Well, damn. That was short-lived, huh?" Alice huffed as Bella climbed into the car with a sigh and a nod. Marley clambered into the back with Dave and Clarke, the latter of which had his headphones on and turned up so loud that Bella could hear the heavy beat from the front seat.

"Definitely. I know most parents love it when the kids go back to school, but I've been dreading it. The older they get, the more I love having them home with me."

Alice hummed in agreement. "Do you know, I often wonder if I could manage homeschooling the boys. I just feel like we could have so much fun together, and I wouldn't have to cart them off to school all day, every day."

For the rest of the journey, they talked about the pros and cons of home-schooling. Bella had considered it, too, back when Marley first started school. She'd loathed the idea of her baby girl being somewhere with strangers for seven hours a day, five days a week. The only thing that had stopped her was the knowledge that the biggest benefit of Marley going to school was the opportunities for her to socialize and play with other children her age. It was the one main thing she'd missed out on for the first seven years of her life; now she had that chance, and Bella hadn't been able to withhold it from her.

Over a year on, Bella knew she'd made the right choice for Marley. She'd thrived and gone from strength to strength, her confidence and intelligence astounding everyone who'd known her as the silent, shy girl who'd been found at the medical centre back in Montana; Bella's last-ditch attempt at getting Marley to freedom. Looking at her now, chatting away to Dave with a beaming smile on her face, Bella was confident regular schooling had been for the best.

But she also agreed with Alice. Homeschooling would afford her the chance to do a lot more with her children and spend so much more time with them. It hurt to think that she only had another year and a half with Bodhi before he'd join Marley at Hampden Park Academy – only he'd be in the infants, while she was in the juniors.

"See you later, handsome. Be good, okay? And remember to hand that science thing in! I love you!"

Clarke flushed beet red, hissing, "Mum!" as he speed-walked away from a cackling Alice and all-but jogged into his secondary school across the street.

"You love embarrassing him, don't you?" Bella laughed, rubbing her bump as her son kicked just above her belly button; Marley and Dave climbed out of the car giggling and watching a video of a grumpy cat on Dave's tablet.

"Oh, I _live_ for it," Alice admitted gleefully, locking the car and gently removing the tablet from her son's grasp.

"But, Mum—"

"No! No, _but, Mums_. You can't take it to class with you. Miss Hennessy would have a fit."

Dave scowled, but Marley quickly distracted him, and he'd forgotten all about it by the time they made it to their classroom.

Bella had been relieved when they'd been told that the classes would stay the same each year, so Marley would get to keep her friends. When they made it to the classroom, Marley and Dave excitedly greeted their _little friend gang_ , as Edward had dubbed them.

Matthew, twins Amun and Tia, Hayley, Maggie, Jacob, and Bree pulled Marley and Dave into their circle, the giggles and squeals bringing smiles to the faces of the parents loitering around.

"All right, you giggly lot," Miss Hennessy, their teacher, laughed as she arrived in the hall, clapping her hands to get their attention. "Have you all had a good two weeks off?"

"Yes, Miss Hennessy!" they trilled.

She smiled at them, her ice blue eyes bright and happy. "Good! Now – are we ready for a day of learning?"

"Yes, Miss Hennessy!"

"Perfect! Well, then, say 'goodbye' and let's get started!"

The kids called their 'goodbyes' before filing into their classroom, patting the large stuffed deer in the doorway on their way past – their mascot was a deer, rather than the snowy owl from last year.

Bella and Alice, along with all the other parents, meandered out of the school toward their cars. Bella fell into the seat with a huff, her back and hips already aching something fierce despite it being only nine a.m.

"Little boy causing trouble?" Alice murmured knowingly, her half-smile sympathetic as she reached over to squeeze Bella's hand.

"Yeah," Bella breathed. "I swear, this boy is going to be just as big as his dad. My back is just _killing_ me."

"I was the same with Clarke. Dave was fine, he barely weighed six pounds, but Clarke was my whopper – ten pounds, eleven ounces. And that was two weeks early, too."

Bella gritted her teeth at the thought of an almost eleven-pound baby – though it was looking increasingly likely she'd be facing that scenario if her unborn boy continued to grow at the rate of knots. He already measured a couple of weeks ahead.

"I hate to say it, but have you considered the idea you're doing a little too much?"

A lump settled in the pit of Bella's stomach. "Yeah, I have," she admitted, "but I don't have a choice. Edward is working so hard, all the guys are, and we've got so much going on."

With Paul's, weekly Wednesday visit and every-other-weekly weekend trip down to Eastbourne to play at the park, plus the stress of keeping his relationship to Marley a secret, Bella barely had time to slow down. Marley had joined a couple of after-school clubs, and in an attempt to keep busy and entertain Bodhi, Bella had been spending as much time at the farm with Esme as possible. Now they had the Remi Wilson situation to deal with on top of all that, as well as the rapidly growing baby boy sapping Bella of all her energy.

Christmas had been a welcome break from all the stress. But with Marley back at school now and Bodhi having a date with Mimi, Bella was well-aware she'd probably spend the entire day worrying about what they were going to do with regards to going to meet Remi and thinking about her near-miss with revealing Marley's true parentage last week.

As Alice drove them toward home, Bella gazed out of the window and mentally cursed herself for her slip-up.

" _Little guy is getting big, huh?"_

 _Bella turned to look at Paul. They were sitting on the swings, watching Marley and Bodhi running around the playground. It was too cold to be out there, really, but the children had insisted, so Bella had wrapped them up in their warmest clothes and chosen to leave this battle; it wasn't worth the inevitable tantrums._

 _Paul's eyes darted down to her prominent belly, then back up to her face as he grinned. "I swear you've grown a bit more every week."_

 _Huffing, Bella patted her coat-covered bump. "You're not wrong. I swear, I grow a bit more every_ minute _."_

" _He's getting Edward's genes, then. God knows, he's no midget like his mom."_

" _Hey!" She gently thumped his arm, shaking her head and laughing when he pretended he'd barely felt it and commented on the sudden breeze, shooting her a wink._

" _It's funny how genes work," he murmured after a few minutes, his face pensive as he watched Bodhi run around the merry-go-round to spin Marley. "I mean, apart from the shape of Bodhi's eyes, it's like I wasn't even involved. And Marley…from her hair to her eyes to her teeny, tiny little frame, she's your clone."_

 _Bella smiled; he'd obviously forgotten that she'd originally had blonde hair. After all, he'd first known her back on the ranch, way before she'd chosen to dye her hair its current chocolate brown. "My hair is actually_ that _colour, don't you remember?" she said, pointing at Bodhi's mop of strawberry tinted gold curls. A frown stole over her face as she fought a shiver, a brief flash of Marcus' face flitting through her mind. "I dye mine, but her dark hair is all Ma—"_

 _Without thinking, Bella had almost said 'Marcus.'_

 **~ oOo ~**

Hours later, as she sat at the breakfast bar with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she watched the dogs wander around the garden, Bella's mind was still on Paul and her near-miss.

Not telling Paul about Marcus being Marley's biological father hadn't been a conscious decision – well, it had at first, but they'd always planned to tell him at some point.

Bella just wasn't sure when that point would be.

In the weeks since Paul began visitation with Bodhi, they'd bonded. Bodhi adored Paul, although he still had flickers of mistrust when he remembered the man's no-show before Christmas. For the most part though, all was forgiven in Bodhi's little world.

When Bella had almost slipped up last week, she'd stuttered over a rambled apology and made up an excuse for wanting to leave early. When Rosalie and Emmett had returned from the café a minute later, they'd been the perfect distraction, and Bella had rounded up her children and huffed a sigh of relief as soon as she was away from Paul.

But it was bound to once more. He hadn't seemed to notice the slip last time, but she couldn't be sure it wouldn't happen again and if it did, that she'd be able to cover it up.

Her skin crawled at the merest thoughts surrounding her rape, though thankfully, time and therapy had helped her to deal with the aftermath. The idea of having to tell Marcus' brother what he'd done, and that Marley was technically Paul's niece, made Bella all kinds of uncomfortable – and she already knew it would drive Edward crazy.

He'd gotten better at being around Paul in the last couple of weeks, but that didn't mean he liked the man – or the situation. And Paul's repeated mention of his parents wanting to meet Bodhi hadn't helped.

According to Paul, his parents, Aro and Josephine, were desperate to meet their only grandchild. They'd even offered to fly Bella's entire family out to their home on Long Island, but had changed that offer once Bella's pregnancy was announced. Paul's apartment was big enough to house him and his parents, should Bella and Edward agree to let them visit Bodhi. The company jet was waiting patiently, ready to go at a moment's notice. All Bella and Edward needed to do was say 'yes.'

Until now, they'd held off, but as she thought back over all of Paul's visits, Bella sighed and rubbed her belly, admitting to herself that there was no real reason to continue putting off Aro and Josephine's visit. Apart from the one blip, Paul had proven himself reliable, and they had no reason to suspect his parents would be anything but the same.

 **~ oOo ~**

By the time Edward and Charlie returned from work that evening, Bella had made up her mind.

They needed to tell Paul, and soon. Especially as Riley had expressed his hope that Paul would travel with the family to see Remi Wilson. His explanation was that his presence might stir something in Remi, or vice versa, and they might be able to get more information about Smith. He may be dead, but Riley was certain there was a multitude of people out there who'd assisted him with his crimes. If this Wilson could help them with any identities or details they'd missed, it could only be a good thing.

"Daddy!" Marley and Bodhi cried, leaping down from the dining table to greet Edward in the doorway.

"Hey, _piccoli tesori_ ," Edward said, hugging his 'little treasures' before planting a kiss on each of their heads. "How are you?"

"G-good, Daddy," Bodhi chirped, darting back to resume eating his pizza. Marley followed him, allowing Edward to cross the kitchen.

"Hey, _mi amore_ ," he murmured, catching her lips in a kiss. She sighed against him, all the stress of the day chased away by his woodsy, purely _Edward_ scent. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she breathed, stretching onto her tiptoes for one more kiss before turning to load the dishwasher. A quick glance at the children reassured her that they were engrossed with their dinner, so she looked up at Edward's concerned face and admitted, "We need to think about telling Paul what Marcus is to Marley."

The fierce scowl that spread over Edward's face was expected. The ensuing grimace and nod of acceptance wasn't.

"You're agreeing?"

Edward huffed a soft laugh at her incredulous tone, reaching up to cup her face. His hands smelled faintly of wood and paint; it was a familiar, comforting mixture. "We've talked about this before, haven't we? It was always going to happen. I don't _like it_ , but it has to be done at some point, right?"

Bella sighed, inordinately grateful for his easy acceptance as she leaned her face into his touch and nodded. "Yeah. I think…I think we should just tell him this weekend. He keeps asking about his parents meeting Bodhi, so it should be before that happens."

At that, Edward frowned. "You think he's ready? Bodhi, I mean – to meet Paul's parents."

Glancing around him at their boy, Bella shrugged. "I think so. He's comfortable with Paul now, and I think if we just set it up like before, with them being 'friends,' he'll be fine."

With a long sigh, Edward leaned forward and touched their foreheads together. Like he'd said, he didn't like this situation at all, but it was necessary going forward. They couldn't keep Paul's parents from Bodhi forever, any more than they could keep Marley's sperm donor a secret for the rest of their lives.

"Whatever you think, _mi amore_. But we're taking Em and Chuck on Saturday, if that's when we're telling him."

Nodding, Bella murmured her agreement. It was definitely sensible to take two of the stronger men in the family, just in case tempers flared. Charlie appeared in the doorway then, rubbing his moustache as he looked between his daughter and Edward.

"Taking me where? And what are we telling 'him,' whoever 'he' is?"

Bella bit her lip, not knowing how her protective father would react. "Dad...we're going to tell—"

"Pawpaw! L-look! I e-eated all my p-p-pizza!" Bodhi sputtered triumphantly, holding up his now-empty plate for inspection.

Charlie chuckled and joined him at the table, ruffling his hair, then Marley's. "Well done, buddy. Good job. And you, Mars? Have you finished?"

Marley beamed, nodding. "Yep, yep, yep! All done, Pawpaw."

"Good, 'cause I brought home a surprise for you…" He quickly dove back out into the hall, returning with a familiar brown paper bag decorated with a yellow 'M.' "Now…who wants a _McFlurry_?"

Bella rolled her eyes and shelved the _Paul_ conversation for now, watching her kids scrambling over each other to get to their ice creams. "You spoil them, Dad."

Charlie shrugged, a gleeful grin on his face. "That's what Pawpaws are for, right?"

"R-right," Bodhi agreed, already sporting a spot of ice cream on the end of his nose thanks to his impatience and unwillingness to wait for the spoon Charlie was pulling from the bottom of the bag.

"Right, Pawpaw," Marley nodded happily, tucking into her _Rolo-_ topped ice cream with a happy little smile.

Edward tucked an arm around Bella, both watching with joy in their eyes as Charlie shed his boss-man exterior to become just 'Pawpaw.'

When Marley and Bodhi were done with their unexpected treats, Bella clapped her hands together with a smile. "All right, time for baths, then bed."

"Aw, Mamma…" Marley whined.

"Nope. Not going to work, little sweet," Edward laughed, taking Bella's side. "It's already past bedtime. Mamma kept you up so you could see Pawpaw and me, but you've got school tomorrow, and Bodhi's almost falling asleep at the table."

"A-am n-not, D-Daddy," Bodhi protested, yawning widely.

Edward's crooked grin popped with a dimple as he scooped Bodhi from his seat, peppering his cheeks with kisses until Bodhi was a panting, giggling, red-faced mess. "C'mon, Beesy. I'll give you a bath and read you _two_ stories, okay?"

"All r-right, Daddy," Bodhi finally agreed after thinking it over for a moment.

As Bella watched Marley trail after her dad and brother, she smiled to herself, knowing Edward had only promised two stories because he knew Bodhi would be asleep before he'd even started the first.

"So," Charlie huffed pointedly, patting the seat beside him. Bella sighed and joined him at the table, feeling like a teenager in trouble for fibbing. "What's going on this Saturday?"

"We're telling Paul about Marley. It's…it's _time_ , Dad. We can't put it off forever."

Charlie frowned. "This is about what Riley said, isn't it? That he wants Paul to come with us when we go to America."

"Yes, and no." Bella sighed, twining a lock of her hair around her finger. "If we do go to America and Paul comes with us, it'll be impossible to keep the truth from him. But to be honest, I really just want to tell him because I'm sick of lying. I'm so tired of having to bite my tongue all the time to stop myself from accidentally blurting it out. I almost dropped myself in it the other day, at the park."

Charlie winced, rubbing his moustache as his brows drew inward. "And Edward agrees?"

"I think he's trying to be okay with it for my sake," she admitted.

Contemplative silence blanketed the duo as they listened to the muffled voices from upstairs, the squeals and giggles of the children splashing in the bath, then their groans when Edward told them it was time to get out.

"I agree with you, Bells, about being honest. But promise me something. Promise you'll speak to the lawyer before you do anything."

A rush of relief flooded Bella's veins, her baby boy giving a solid kick as she sighed and relaxed; Bella hadn't realised how much her dad's acceptance would mean to her. "I promise, Dad. I think Edward has already texted him, anyway."

With a final nod, Charlie stood and pulled Bella into his chest for a firm hug, laughing when his unborn grandson delivered a flurry of firm kicks hard enough for him to feel through Bella's jumper and his padded coat.

"He's gonna be a footballer, mark my words," Charlie chuckled, resting his palm over the spot rippling with his grandson's movements.

"You might be right," Bella agreed softly, her smile a mile wide. Neither of her first two children had been particularly active in the womb; their little brother was the complete opposite. He barely stopped moving – especially in the evenings. Marley had used that knowledge to her advantage a few nights previous, informing her amused parents that her baby brother was mad that she and Bodhi were being sent to bed. She'd tried to use it as an excuse to stay up later, and only sulked for a short while when Edward and Bella laughed off her attempt.

"All right, I'm going for a shower."

"You should," Bella teased, smiling impishly at her dad's back as he left the room and called out, "you _stink_." Charlie's chuckles snuck back into the room even as his heavy footsteps made their way up the stairs.

As Bella let the dogs out for their last ablutions before calling them in and locking the door, she sighed and tried to block thoughts of telling Paul about his brother's transgressions from her mind. It may be the right decision, but that didn't mean it would be easy.

She consoled herself with the knowledge that she had Edward and Charlie's support – as well as that of the rest of her family, because they'd never been anything but supportive – and wore a smile by the time she leaned in the doorway of her children's bedroom.

Edward was sitting on the floor beside Marley's bed, both children curled around one another with their stuffed animals between them. Marley and Bodhi were fast asleep, their soft snores echoing in the room. Edward was reading softly, the low cadence of his warm voice having lulled them to sleep before the end of the first chapter; _The Little Engine That Could_ , Bodhi's favourite book, had been read so many times that Bella and Edward could recite it from memory.

"Hubs…are you coming to bed?"

Edward's head snapped up. He blinked hard, glancing between Bella's amused smirk and his children's sleeping faces. "Oh. I didn't realise…Yeah, I'm coming."

Bella watched him set the book on the nightstand, making sure to dim the nightlight before kissing Marley's forehead, then Bodhi's. He tugged the covers up to make sure they wouldn't get cold, whispering his 'I love yous' so softly that Bella only knew he'd said them because she saw his lips move.

When he reached her in the doorway, one hand joined hers on her bump, the other reaching up to cup her face. He stroked the apple of her cheek with his thumb, his emerald eyes soft and searching as he gazed into the depths of her soul. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I just love you."

Flutters spread through her stomach as Edward's smile widened, his dimples popping in unison to frame that perfectly crooked smile she loved so much. She still remembered the first time she saw it after her escape. That devastatingly disarming grin.

" _Mommy!"_

 _All eyes swivelled in synchronisation to the little girl scrambling down from Edward's hip to charge across the space separating her and her mother. She flung herself into Scarlett's lap, sobbing big, heaving but silent cries that broke the hearts of everybody in the room. For the longest time, Scarlett didn't even move, only muscle memory pushing her arms around Marley to hold her close, even as she stared in wonder at the little girl's shaking body._

" _Did she…? Did you…did you just, speak?"_

 _Marley peered up at her mother from beneath long, wet lashes. The warm weight of her on Scarlett's lap brought forth a smile as Marley threw herself back against her mother's chest, snuggling in with a quiet hum._

 _Scarlett looked at Charlie, Peter, then Edward, finally noticing the wide, proud grin on his face. "What? Has she done that before?"_

 _Edward shook his head, unable to stop himself from laughing. The sound drew Marley's attention. She twisted, lips spreading into a tremulous smile when she found Edward grinning at her. "No. No, she hasn't spoken, not since we got her."_

He'd been beaming at Marley's first word; his smile so, _so_ wide.

Even then, he'd been all about the sweet little girl who'd wrapped him around her pinky finger within a matter of days.

It was odd to think of those early days now, when she had Edward's eyes and hands on her and his baby growing within her womb.

As Edward led her to bed, wrapping himself around her as they burrowed into the covers and exchanged hot kisses that set her skin on fire just as much as his roaming hands, Bella couldn't help but forget all about her earlier worries.

They'd gone from strength to strength, and she had evolved from a scared, silent young woman to a loved, healthy, happy mother and fiancée.

Marley had grown into a bright, intelligent, loving little girl, shedding her silence and embracing the love showered upon her by all who met her.

Bodhi was happy, adored, and would never know the horrors of his origin.

And Edward…

Edward had gone from a childhood friend to a saviour and her biggest champion; he was her hero, in every definition of the word.

So, no, she wasn't worried anymore.

Once, a long time ago, she'd read a passage from a poem, and it was this she thought of when she was tumbling into slumber later that night, sated and wrapped in the warm arms of her beloved.

 _The Devil whispered in my ear, "You're not strong enough to withstand the storm."_

 _Today I whispered in the Devil's ear, "I am the storm."_

She couldn't remember who it was written by, but it was incredibly apt. When they, as a family, had already beaten so much to get to where they were today, what was one more trial?

They'd get through it together, just like they always had.

* * *

 **So, I can't quite believe it, but Pinky Promises has made it to Round 2 of the voting in the TwiFic Fandom Awards, Favourite MY EMOTIONS Fic category! GAH! You guys are just...the absolute best. I've also gone through to round two as a nominee for Favourite Newbie Author which just boggles my mind.**

 **Anyway, if you'd like to jump over to the TwiFic Fandom Awards website and vote, I'd be super grateful. You can vote for your favourites once every 24 hours so don't waste your votes :)**

 **Also...my Christmas story Will You Love Me Tomorrow is up for Top Ten Fics Completed in January on the TwifanfictionRecs website, and Pinky Promises is up for Top Ten Stories Completed in 2017. Again, I'd be immensely grateful if you'd vote for them there. And again, you can vote once every 24 hours.**

 **Thank you, everyone! And happy Sunday! xo**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Sorry this is late, guys! I had a hectic weekend, and  
then I worked 5am-12pm yesterday and slept pretty much  
the whole afternoon, so I didn't get around to posting this.  
Thank you for hanging in there and being so patient!**

 **As always, huge gratitude to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for being so wonderful and helping me with this beast. I  
** **often tinker after they've worked their magic, so any mistakes  
** **left are all mine.**

 **Thank you to all of you for reading, reviewing, and voting  
Pinky Promises into the second round of the TwiFic Fandom  
Awards! You're all beyond awesome! Also, thank you for voting  
me into the Favourite Newbie Author category. I was just...blown  
away. With such fierce competition, I don't expect to win at all,  
but it's an honour to be included in a list with such wonderful ladies  
and writers.**

 **I feel like I'm forgetting something I was supposed to say...  
but you're not interested in me, anyway. I'll let you get on with  
the new chapter ;)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _ **February 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2020 – 7 weeks later**_

"Have you got everything? Paperwork? Tickets? Passports?"

Bella smiled, squeezing Esme's hand. "We have everything, Esme, don't worry. It's all in the case in the hall."

Esme shook her head, running her hands through her hair in a gesture that reminded Bella of Edward; he was forever manhandling his copper locks. She knew, thanks to a lot of time spent with Esme, that it was a habit he'd picked up from her.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm fussing. I'm just…"

"Nervous?" Bella breathed. "Me, too."

As her eyes softened, Esme pulled Bella into a sideways hug. Her large belly wouldn't allow for anything more. At twenty-nine weeks, Bella was almost as big as she had been when Bodhi was born at thirty-four.

The trip to the States had come around quickly.

It seemed Bella had blinked back in January and suddenly found herself staring at the boarding passes for their flight to the USA. Their suitcases were packed, the dogs happily taking over the Whitlock residence next-door because everyone in the immediate family was making the trip to America with them.

Charlie and Peter were going to support their daughters.

Archie had taken off work so he, Carl-Roman, and Chase could go – both as support for Bella and Rosalie and the boys as a distraction for Marley and Bodhi.

Emmett was, of course, accompanying Rosalie. He'd made no secret of the fact that he hated they were putting their unborn son – whom they'd already named Xavier – so close to one of the men responsible for a world of hurt, but he'd promised to support Rosalie's decision, so he would.

Riley had persuaded everyone involved that Paul Lucien's presence could only be an asset, so he was flying out, too, but he'd be joining them in New York after an important meeting there, rather than flying out with them from England

Esme and Carlisle had insisted on going, promising to be on hand for babysitting duties or to be there purely for moral support when it was needed. Bella had thanked Esme profusely when she admitted that she and Carlisle wanted to come. Though she hadn't voiced it, Bella had begun to see Esme as a mother figure and to know that she'd be there, to not only help her, but to help everyone else – particularly the children and Edward – was a huge relief.

Pulling back, Esme cupped Bella's face between her small hands and frowned. "And you're still sure? About the ranch."

Bella's stomach knotted.

She and Rosalie had made the unpopular request that they be able to visit the ranch while they were in America. First, they'd discussed it privately, agreeing their families would be vehemently against the idea, but had finally won the argument when their therapist admitted it might do them a world of good.

Closure, she said, could come in a multitude of forms. For Bella and Rosalie, Irina suspected it would only come when they saw that the ranch was no longer there. Despite them knowing that it had burned down in the explosion the same day as their escape, whenever either of them pictured the location of their imprisonment, they could only see the ranch building as it had been. In their minds, it still stood tall, imposing, and full of guilty, bloody secrets and torment.

Rosalie hadn't been as staunch in her need to see it, having watched it go up in flames, but the more Bella talked about it, the more Rosalie felt the compulsion to lay eyes on the area one more time. Just once, to see that it was truly gone.

"I'm sure," Bella breathed just as the patio doors flew open, the children spilling in.

"M-Mamma, I m-made a sandcastle i-in the sandp-pit!" Bodhi panted, dimpled grin on full display as soon as he spotted Esme. "M-Mimi!"

He jumped into her arms, planting a loud kiss on her cheek before clambering down so she could greet Marley.

"We're g-goin' on a p- _plane_ tomorrow, Mimi," Bodhi told her sagely, looking to his mamma. "R-right, Mamma?"

Bella stroked his curly mop back from his eyes, nodding. "Right, baby boy. Mimi knows, though; she and PopPop are coming with us, remember?"

Few things made Bella happier than witnessing the love between the children and their Mimi. Not for the first time, Bella sent up a prayer that Esme and Carlisle would be matched to a child in need of their love and safe shelter soon.

They'd gone on the official adoption waiting list back in September of last year, but so far, hadn't had any matches. It was only a matter of time, but it hurt to see the longing in Esme's eyes when she peppered Bodhi's face with kisses or nurtured Marley's sweet spirit when she felt nervous during her dance rehearsals.

 _Soon_ , Bella told herself, smiling and sinking into a chair at the dining table. The weight on her ankles was unbearable after even a short time, but the sight of Esme crouching to 'ooh' over the tiger plaster on Bodhi's knee was too cute to resist.

 **~ oOo ~**

That night, Bella couldn't sleep.

By the time Edward's alarm woke him at four a.m., she was already up and sitting in the rocking chair by the window, watching the sun beginning to peek over the horizon behind the park at the end of the street.

"H-hey," Edward croaked, rubbing his eyes with a frown. "What're you doin' up, _mi amore_?"

"Couldn't sleep," Bella whispered, shrugging when he asked why she didn't wake him. "We've all got a long day ahead of us. No point us both being exhausted."

Edward grumbled a few unintelligible words as he slid from the covers, revealing all toned, tanned, delicious six-foot-three of himself to Bella's roving eyes. His gaze darkened when he read the want in hers. " _Mi amore_ …"

Before he could continue, Bella's lips curled into a wry half-smile. She held up a finger for him to wait, and just seconds later, he picked up the telltale sounds of visitors making their way down the hall.

" _Shhh, silly! We're_ sneaking _! You're making too much noise._ "

Shaking his head with a disappointed but amused snort, Edward flopped back on the mattress, tugging the cover over his lap just as the door quietly swung open to reveal two eager faces.

"Oh! You're up!" Marley and Bodhi gave up all pretence of sneaking as soon as they spotted their mamma in the chair and their daddy mumbling Italian curses under his breath; Marley clambered onto the bed with Edward, leaving Bodhi to climb onto Bella's knee.

"Mornin', Mamma," he said with a sweet, slow, crooked grin.

"Morning, baby boy," Bella laughed softly, leaning in to press a lingering kiss to his forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhm," he mumbled, fiddling with the belt of her dressing gown. "Mamma, we're goin' on a p-plane today!"

"That's right, we are. Are you excited?"

"Yep! I'm g-gonna look out the w-window!" He shot a triumphant grin at his sulky-faced sister. "I c-called it."

Bodhi and Marley had heard Carl-Roman and Chase bickering over who would get the window seat on the plane, and had subsequently argued over which of them would get to sit by a window. With so many adults going, Bella suspected that each of them would get one if they wished, but she didn't want to make any promises.

"Daddy, are we goin' to _Disney_ again?" Marley asked, bouncing a little on the bed.

Edward shook his head, tugging the end of one of her messy braids. "Not this time, little sweet."

To distract from the imminent whining about not returning to _Disneyworld,_ Bella slid Bodhi from her lap and wobbled to her feet.

"All right, you two. As you're up, shall we go have breakfast?"

Talk of _Pop Tarts,_ their favourite treat, had the children tearing from the room. Their footsteps thumped down the stairs; Bella shook her head with a wince.

"If Dad wasn't already awake, he will be now."

Edward nodded, raking a hand through his hair. "It's about time to get up, anyway. I'll go down and feed the troops; you can have the bathroom first."

As he passed her, Edward gave her bump a caress, leaning down to murmur a 'good morning, buddy' to his son before standing straight to kiss Bella. "Good morning, beautiful."

Bella hummed against his lips, unable to stifle the sound as his tongue darted out to brush hers. Even now, after so long together, he could ignite an inferno within her with the softest of kisses; with just the flash of dark, hungry jade eyes.

" _Bells? Ed? You up yet?"_

Charlie's voice from the hall was like a bucket of cold water over them. Edward muttered a curse, his eyes amused but disgruntled when he pulled back and blew out a long breath. Bella giggled, cupping her flushed cheeks.

"Is this _funny_ to you?" Edward growled.

"A little," Bella admitted, crying out when he tickled her waist lightly with his fingertips. "Stop, stop!" Hearing Charlie's footsteps out on the landing, she quickly called, "We're up, Dad! The kids are downstairs!"

"' _Kay. I'll see you down there."_

Edward huffed and pressed a kiss to Bella's forehead before stepping around her and pulling on his jogging bottoms. He was just reaching for the t-shirt on top of the dresser when small hands snatched it away.

Bella plastered an innocent expression on her face as she tugged it over her head, smoothing the worn-soft material over her bump. While he'd been busy calming himself down, she'd removed her tank top so she could wear his t-shirt. "I like this one."

A grin curled Edward's lips. "I like you _in that one_."

Bella smiled and waddled from the room, leaving Edward to find a new shirt and head downstairs to feed the kids. The sooner they were ready and fed, the sooner they could get this whole ordeal over with.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Ooh, Aunt Bella – there's a _PlayStation_!"

Bella smiled, shaking her head at Carl-Roman's excitement. Now ten-years-old, he was into all things technology-related, especially his _PlayStation 4._ Clearly, discovering one on the plane was worthy of a yell from the front of the jet to the back, where Bella was reclined in a comfortable leather armchair.

To say that Riley's unexpected gift of his own private jet was a surprise would be an understatement. They'd been ushered out toward the much, smaller-than-planned, but more-than-roomy-enough aircraft shortly after an odd text from Riley asking which terminal they were in. Bella and Rosalie hadn't been able to control their hormones and had both cried as their other halves led them up the steps.

As she rested her head back against the cushioned backrest and looked around, Bella sighed. It was far plusher than the _British Airways_ plane they were expecting to board. Riley's promise to sort refunds for the wasted airline tickets was just a bonus on top.

The walls were white, with long Venetian blinds half-drawn to keep out the bright sunlight, and the entire cabin floor was the softest grey carpet Bella had ever had the fortune of feeling beneath her aching feet; she'd removed her shoes within minutes of boarding. Along the left side was a sofa with enough seats for six people – or the gaggle of children along with their backpacks of colouring books, toys, and _Nintendo DS_ consoles. There were also twenty seats in sumptuous beige and chocolate brown leather, each with their own drink holder and fold-out tray hidden neatly within the armrest.

Much to the delight of Marley, Bodhi, Carl-Roman, and Chase, there was an enormous, flat screen TV and the revered _PlayStation_ complete with enough games to keep them entertained across the Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Bella and Rosalie had claimed two of the reclining chairs toward the rear of the plane and were thoroughly enjoying having their men pamper them. The men were gathered in the cluster of chairs in front of them, so they were close enough to monitor the children as well as near enough to Bella and Rosalie that they could see when they were getting low on virgin daiquiris and snacks. Not that they had to make the drinks themselves; there was a small bar and a lovely young woman behind it for that.

"I don't think I'll ever want to fly economy again," Rosalie breathed, giggling at Bella's quick nod.

"Oh, we're definitely borrowing this again. No wonder he never complained about coming over to see us so much in the beginning! He was holding out on us!"

Mid-sip of her fruity pink drink, Bella's free hand shot to the right of her bump. "Baby boy's kicking up a storm," she laughed, rubbing her son's protruding foot.

Rosalie beamed; her hands were resting over the bump housing baby Xavier. "This little guy is too."

At twenty-nine and twenty-eight weeks and six days respectively, Bella and Rosalie were both big-bellied and ready to meet their baby boys. Both had suffered the gamut with random, inconvenient cravings at all hours of the night, and both were enjoying the relief that came with feeling their active babies consistently wriggling and squirming.

They'd hidden their nervousness over this trip very well, but now they were in the air and on the way, neither Bella or Rosalie could hide their worry. They wore smiles on their faces but fear in their hearts as they sped ever closer to New York, where they'd be disembarking the first of three flights.

First, they were meeting Riley at JFK Airport, then heading to a hotel for the night. They weren't due to land for another two and a half hours, which would put them at around four p.m., New York time, which meant they'd have hours to get settled in their overnight lodgings and catch up with Riley. That was the exciting part.

The following day, the entire, fourteen-strong clan including Riley, would be heading back to the airport for the second flight – to Montana – before their third flight in three days' time, which would take them to Washington, to see Remi Wilson.

In Montana, they would go back to the land where the ranch had once resided. According to Riley, the house had been completely obliterated by the explosion and all they'd find was a snowy expanse of fields surrounded by mountains. Up until now, Bella hadn't felt too nervous about this part of the itinerary. Her morbid curiosity and incessant need for closure hadn't allowed her to think about it other than to pray it would bring an end to her nightmares.

More than once, she'd had night terrors featuring two small faces peering out of the upstairs bedroom window; only in these dreams, they weren't hers and Rosalie's faces pressed against the glass.

They were Marley and Bodhi's.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Mamma, l-look! It's Uncle R-Riley!"

Much to Bella's consternation, Bodhi ignored his mother's outstretched hand and threw himself down the last few steps, tearing away from the plane straight into Riley's waiting arms. Edward looped her arm through his, holding her hand tight as he helped her down to the tarmac and then turned to swoop Marley through the air. Her giggles rang out, earning smiles from the agents standing a few steps back from Riley and from the aircraft crew still standing at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, little guy," Riley chuckle, his rough voice sending a ripple of comfort through Bella's veins as she made her way closer. She, Edward, and their two children were the last of the gang off the plane, so she waddled right over for a hug once Bodhi had tugged out of his arms. Riley had visited several times since Bodhi's birth, and Skyped often; the little boy worshipped his 'cool Uncle Riley' and all the gadgets he talked about during their video calls.

Riley's eyes softened, his smile broad and almost wistful as he shook his head and drew her into his embrace, mindful of the baby between them. "You're glowing, sweetheart."

A rosy hue infused Bella's cheeks as she inhaled the familiar menthol and _Lynx_ scent synonymous with Riley. His pea coat was warm from his body heat and felt nice contrasting with the crisp air. New York in February wasn't warm, not by any stretch of the imagination. Bella let him hold her for a long moment before pulling back slightly. The almost sad tint to his eyes made her frown before he suddenly grinned with an incredulous headshake.

"Who'd have thought, three years ago, that we'd be here now? You, with your two beautiful children, this yahoo for a fiancé," Edward laughed when Riley reached out to punch him lightly on the arm before returning his attention to Bella, "and another kiddo on the way."

"Yeah…" Bella breathed. "It's kinda mad."

Riley had his agents help with loading the bags onto trolleys, then the entire gang made their way toward the vehicles Riley had arranged. Paul, Carlisle, Esme, Peter, Archie, Carl-Roman, and Chase piled into one van with an agent driving them, while Charlie, Bella, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Marley, Bodhi, and Riley climbed into the other. The drive to the hotel was mercifully short after a mix-up in security, and when they finally made it there, the elevator ride up to the penthouse suite Riley had pre-booked only served to exacerbate Bella's heightened emotions.

One of the elevator walls was made entirely of glass and overlooked Central Park. It was a glorious view of the sun beginning to set over the snow-blanketed park, tears filling Bella's eyes to the brim as she gazed out.

Edward gently squeezed their twined fingers, his smile warm when she dragged her eyes away from the view. "Are you okay?"

"Tired," Bella breathed, laughing at herself as she brushed a lone tear from her cheek. "Tired…excited to get to bed, nervous for the rest of this trip, craving a cheeseburger. You name it, I'm feeling it."

With a sympathetic tilt of his head, Edward leaned down to brush a kiss against her forehead. "Tell you what, you can sit and have a relaxing evening and I'll take care of the kids. I think Ro's struggling, too."

The rest of their group had beat them to the hotel and were already up at the penthouse, but Emmett and Edward had already agreed to let the women have a relaxing evening while the guys took care of everything. Seeing Bella now, obviously tired, overwhelmed, and most likely feeling the nerves more than she was showing them, Edward knew he couldn't turn down Emmett's suggestion.

 **~ oOo ~**

A few hours later, the entire gang spread out in the living area with take-out Chinese for dinner. The men nursed beers before switching to fizzy pop, mindful of the fact that they were watching the children while the women rested. Rosalie, Esme, and Bella sipped their mocktails and reclined in the plush chairs, while the children ate at their feet on what was supposed to be a sofa throw, but worked well as a picnic blanket.

The TV was on low to entertain the children, and the adults spoke quietly, tiredly, as they wolfed down their food and daydreamed about falling into their beds. Back home, it was nearing eleven p.m., whereas here in New York it was still only six.

As he eyed Bella, then the kids, Edward doubted any of them would make it to eight. The excitement of seeing Riley had given Marley, Bodhi, Carl-Roman, and Chase a second wind – but it had faded fast, and now they were falling asleep over their plates.

"I'm gonna round the kids up and put them to bed," Edward murmured, while Archie grinned and set his half-empty box on the end table.

"I'll give you a hand."

The kids doled out sleepy kisses, then loped toward the bathroom to brush their teeth with Edward and Archie in tow.

"You know they're tired when they don't even moan about brushing their teeth," Archie murmured as Chase's eyes slid shut halfway through, foam all around his mouth as he teetered forward before startling back awake.

Edward chuckled and reached over to ruffle Bodhi's hair – he wasn't in a much better state than his cousin. "C'mon, _tesoro_. Little sweet, you too."

The children washed their faces before heading through the door into the adjoining bedroom. They had their own room with two big double beds to share between them. Carl-Roman and Chase climbed into the first, leaving Marley and Bodhi the bed by the window. Edward tucked them both in as Archie gave his boys the same treatment across the room.

"Daddy, I had— _yawn_ —fun today."

Edward smiled at his sleepy boy and ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it away from his face. "Yeah? I'm glad, _tesoro_. What was the best bit?"

Bodhi hummed, snuggling down into the duvet before answering with a half-lidded, slow smile. "Getting to see Uncle R-Riley. I miss him."

His words elicited a pang in Edward's chest. "I miss him, too. But, you know, he's going to hang out with us while we're here, so we'll get to see him a whole lot."

Bodhi smiled wider at that before yawning again – his eyes watered. "I'm s-sleepy, Dada."

Chuckling, Edward leaned in to kiss Bodhi's forehead. "I know, _tesoro_. Sleep, now. _Ti amo._ "

" _Ti amo_."

Marley was already out, her hair fanned around her on the pillow like a dark halo. She didn't stir when Edward brushed a kiss over her forehead before staring at her for just a moment. She was growing up before his eyes, it seemed.

No longer was she the tiny, silent little girl she'd been when they were last in the States. No longer was she a petrified five-year-old who'd known nothing but captivity.

She was a happy-go-lucky, intelligent, loving, beautiful eight-year-old. She was sassy, kind, wickedly clever and absolutely her family's best champion.

Now they were back here, in the country of her birth, and Edward was petrified by the unknown.

He didn't know if she'd realize where they were, or why they were here.

He didn't know if she'd recognize anything about the ranch – or the land it once occupied.

He didn't know how she'd react if any of those things happened.

But more frightening to him was that he didn't know if he'd be enough.

Aware enough to tell if she was overwhelmed or upset, and strong enough to be able to hold himself together so he could comfort her if she broke down.

"Hey," Bella whispered, resting a hand on his shoulder and reaching up to brush a tear from his cheek with the other. "What's going on?"

Edward hadn't even realised he was crying.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he murmured, rising carefully from the bed and leading Bella through the adjoining door to their bedroom.

"Archie came out and said you were having a moment. Are you okay?"

Frowning down at their joined hands resting on the bump housing their son, Edward chewed the inside of his cheek. He hated this; he hated feeling out of sorts and out of control. In this situation, he was both.

"I'm scared. For you, but also for Marley. What if she…what if she remembers?"

Bella frowned. "I don't…I mean, Irina has talked to her about this. She didn't remember anything."

Their conversation with Irina the previous week lingered in Edward's mind, but for all the wrong reasons.

Marley was smart and all things beautiful in the world, and she had the best memory of anyone he knew. There was no way she didn't remember a thing about the ranch, except that was what she'd told her therapist – and, later, he and Bella. They'd tried to broach the subject with her after her session with Irina, and she'd reiterated that she just remembered the hospital in Montana from her time in the States.

Edward wasn't buying it.

"And you believe that? I can't believe she doesn't remember any of those five years, _mi amore_. I just can't. I mean, this is little sweet we're talking about. She remembers _everything_."

Though she hadn't voiced it, Edward could tell Marley's apparently selective memory was bothering Bella; there was a definite hint of confusion and worry lurking in her stormy blue-green eyes as she gazed up at him warily.

"Edward, I know you're worried, but I really think she'll be okay with this."

Not convinced but mollified, for now, Edward let Bella lead him to bed, the pair of them undressing quietly before slipping into bed together and succumbing to fitful sleep.

* * *

 **For all you Rosalie and Emmett shippers - I've posted their engagement tale on a separate story on my profile -** Valentinos **. Go check it out if you want to read some fluffy sweetness from them xo**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Sunday, fun-day! Happy Sunday, folks.**

 **Happy Mother's Day to anyone celebrating! I've**  
 **just delivered my mum's gifts and now I'm enjoying**  
 **some snuggles on the sofa with my fur-baby ;)**

 **Huge thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for always being their amazing selves! I couldn't  
do this without either of you. Mwah!**

 **If you're on Facebook, I'd love for you to join me  
in my new writing group - CiaraShayee's Subconscious!  
Everyone is welcome. I'll be posting teasers, pictures,  
random bits and bobs relating to my stories here on FF.  
If that sort of thing interests you, that's where you'll find  
it.**

 **Anyways...on with the chapter. We left off in Montana,  
where it's the day of the big visit.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Twelve**

"Dibs on the window seat!"

The children tore across the restaurant, winding their way past the amused faces of the few diners already eating their breakfast. The entire group had trundled down at seven a.m. so they would have enough time afterward to load up, ready for their eleven o'clock flight out to Montana. Nobody had unpacked their suitcases the night before – all too tired, even if they'd wanted to unpack – so they were confident of their ability to hustle and get out on time.

With such a large group, the adults appreciated the restaurant staff having set aside a cluster of tables for them. They were right by the windows, much to the children's delight.

"Carl-Roman, indoor voice, please!" Esme chided gently with a smile when she reached him, ruffling his mop of dark hair when he offered her a wide grin.

"Sorry, Mimi."

Always putty in the hands of her adopted grandbabies, Esme melted.

Rolling his eyes and smiling at his easy-to-break aunt, Edward ushered Bella into a seat and lifted Bodhi onto the chair beside her. "Your usual?" he murmured, chuckling when Bella widened her eyes in an 'of course' expression.

"Please, Hubs. Love you," she sang, stretching up to peck his pursed lips.

"Ew! Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward are _kissing_ again!"

They laughed and broke apart, offering a disgusted Chase matching cheesy smiles. He'd busted them kissing in the kitchenette this morning by sneaking up on them, and had been gleeful about announcing their whereabouts and 'gross' activities to the entire family.

"One day, little guy," Edward scooped up the squealing little boy, "you'll be in love with a beautiful girl, and you'll want to kiss her _all_ the time."

Chase scrunched his face up. "No, I won't, Uncle Edward! Girls are yuck. And kissing is gross!"

Affronted, Marley cocked her head and popped her hip, resting her hands on her waist and looking far too much like her beautiful mother for Edward's liking. "Are you calling me 'yuck'?"

The way Chase's eyes widened and darted between his cousin and uncle – the latter was shaking with silent laughter – was downright hilarious. The rest of the group took their seats, all looking equally amused at Chase's predicament.

"No, you're not yuck, Mars. Just, um, just other girls."

Rosalie plastered a hurt look on her face at the next table and called his name quietly. "Hey, I'm a girl, Chasey. Does that mean I'm 'yuck'?"

Despite everyone's nerves regarding the next few days, there wasn't a frown or a worried expression in sight when Chase looked to the men in the group for help before diving under the table with a pitiful squeal.

 **~ oOo ~**

As everyone settled in and the laughter died down, breakfast became a somewhat odd affair. A sombre cloud arrived to hang over the group even as everyone fought to be upbeat and cheerful. The children were blissfully oblivious to the reason for the stress lingering behind the smiles of their families.

Once they were all done eating, the clan headed back up to the penthouse to shower and get changed into comfy travel clothes.

Bella showered first with Marley, then Edward and Bodhi took their en-suite bathroom next. Bodhi was finished quickly and insisted he be allowed to go get dressed while Edward shaved, so by the time he was done, Bella was dressed in a pair of leggings and a long purple tunic, her hair down in loose waves over her shoulders. She looked effortlessly beautiful, her bump showcased perfectly in the flowy material of her top. Marley was dressed in similar attire, only her leggings were white instead of Bella's black, and her dress was a pretty floral pattern with little silver birds here and there.

However, it was Bodhi's outfit that drew Edward's attention.

" _Tesoro_ , we're going to match!" Edward chuckled, pointing to the clothes he'd laid out on the bed when Bodhi cocked his head in confusion. The little boy grinned when he saw Edward's polo shirt and cargo pants, looking down at his own outfit. Bella had dressed him in a short-sleeved navy polo and grey pants, and Edward had picked out an incredibly similar combo, except his pants were a faded, worn camo-print.

"Quick, Daddy, get dressed! We gotta m-match!"

Bella and Marley headed out into the living area to do their hair, so Edward quickly towelled off and dressed, snapping a few pictures of him with Bodhi in the floor-to-ceiling mirror at his son's insistence.

When they joined the rest of the gang out in the living area, Bodhi ran straight to the first person he saw – Paul. "Look, Paul! Me a-and D-Daddy m-match!"

Edward concealed his scowl when Paul barely managed a smile for Bodhi.

"Oh, right. That's cool, buddy."

Paul had been _off_ ever since he met up with them when they returned from breakfast and found him waiting in the suite. Edward wasn't sure if it was spending so much time with the family, or just the whole messed-up situation they all found themselves in, but whatever it was, he didn't like the way Paul was behaving. As much as Edward had initially wanted Paul to screw up, he'd seen the effect it had on Bodhi. His boy had been crushed when Paul was a no-show. Now, he was showing up, sure, but he was being an ass.

Edward vowed to have words with him when they got a minute alone. If Paul wasn't all-in, he could split, and Edward would deal with the fall-out. There were no half measures when it came to his babies – Paul could either give Bodhi his all or bow out completely. Edward had spent his entire childhood trying to get attention from his parents. It took becoming an adult and following Carlisle's behaviour with Esme to realise that his parents didn't deserve him. They may have created him, but they'd done nothing to earn his affection or love, and although it had been a weight off his shoulders, Edward didn't want Bodhi to ever experience the crippling self-doubts he'd had growing up.

Paul had better start proving himself, or he'd find himself facing the wrong side of Edward's temper.

He'd mellowed since becoming a family man, but nothing ignited his ire more than seeing his babies – or Bella – upset.

"C'mere, baby," Bella called, waving Bodhi over to take the seat Marley was vacating. "Let's brush your hair."

"Look, Daddy," Marley sang, skipping to Edward. He crouched with an instinctive smile, ignoring the feel of Paul's eyes on him as he tugged the end of Marley's fishtail braid. "Mamma gave me a braid. It's pretty, right?"

"You look beautiful," Edward agreed, leaning in to blow a raspberry on her cheek. Now eight-years-old, she was all the best parts of her mother made over. She had Bella's huge eyes, ridiculously long lashes, a heart-shaped face, which was rapidly losing its childlike roundness, and the brightest, warmest smile Edward had ever seen. As she did a little twirl for Esme a minute later, showing off her dress, Edward sighed; it was almost painful to look at her sometimes. He made her heart hurt, she was so sweet.

As soon as Bodhi's hair was semi-tame, he charged back across the suite to Edward and insisted on a shoulder ride. Before long, Edward was reminding Bodhi to duck his head as they made their way out toward the elevators, their bags going ahead of them with the porters, and it was then that Edward felt the first, strange stirrings of pity for Paul.

As the group split into two to ride the elevator down, Edward saw Paul's jealousy and guilt before the doors closed on him and they began their descent to the ground floor. When they went to the park or soft play centre back home for his visits, Edward took a step back and let the children play with Paul if they wanted; he only joined in when they asked him to. It killed him, sometimes, but that's what those visits were for – it was Paul's time with the children.

Out here, when they were on a horrific kind of vacation-slash-mission for closure, everyone was trying to keep the children in their usual routines, behaving just as they would at home. It was likely the first time Paul was seeing so much of the way they all lived, the way they interacted, and it was abruptly obvious to Edward that he didn't necessarily like what he saw. When he attempted to look at the situation with objective eyes, Edward accepted that he'd probably find it hard, too. Whether he liked it or not, Paul _was_ Bodhi's biological father, but he was living in close quarters with the little family Edward had created with Bella and their two children, a third on the way.

Paul had to hear Bodhi cry for 'Daddy' and watch him run to Edward when he hurt himself. He was seeing Edward and Bella snuggling Marley and Bodhi. He was listening to the stories of Bodhi's first weeks at home, knowing that Edward had been there to change the nappies, do the night feeds, and witness all Bodhi's firsts – steps, words, potty training, and more. It had to be killing him.

For the first time, Edward allowed himself to recognise the pity in his gut. Okay, so maybe he wasn't Bodhi's biological father, but he was his Daddy in all the ways that counted, and even Paul could see that.

 **~ oOo ~**

The morning dawned crisp and clear. The sky was a glorious cornflower blue, decorated with wisps of fluffy white clouds. It had been an unseasonably warm few days here in Montana, most of the snow melting away to reveal sheets of bright, fresh green grass. Twelve years of Montana snowfalls swam behind Bella's eyes; twelve years of watching the snow melt wishing she could disappear so easily.

The trip out here had seemed like a good idea at first, but the doubts were beginning to creep in. Sleepless nights plagued by memories of their imprisonment here were waging a war on her already fragile emotions. Coupled with a lack of sleep, her fluctuating hormones, and the upcoming trip out to meet Remi Wilson, Bella's sudden onslaught of doubts was almost paralysing.

"Hey, _mi amore_ , are you all right?"

Warm, strong arms wound around Bella's mid-section, cradling the large bump jutting out from her torso. Edward's chin rested on her shoulder, the warmth of his body pressed against her back prompting a pleasant shiver and a soft hum.

"I'm okay, Edward. Just…" Bella blew out a long breath. "I didn't expect it to be the same."

Edward hummed, caressing the spot the baby was kicking from within. "Did you think it would have changed a lot?"

"I'm not sure, really. I just didn't expect it to feel so similar, you know? I didn't expect to feel this way, like nothing's changed."

A tremor shook Edward's hands as he carefully turned Bella in his arms, using his thumb under her chin to coax her into meeting his gaze. His eyes were intensely green; a deep, dark jade that struck her to her core. He inhaled deeply through his nose before speaking softly. "Bella, _mi amore_ , everything has changed. You've got to see that."

As he spoke, a large black car pulled up on the street outside the house. The doors flew open, a smile finding its way to Bella's face as she craned her neck to look.

Bodhi insisted on helping Rosalie with the grocery bags, copying Emmett when he refused to let his pregnant wife carry things. The little boy grinned with pride when Rosalie handed over her bag, hauling it up the path to the front door of the house Riley had organised for them. It was a safe house, but not the same one they'd stayed in during their time here in 2017. Everyone agreed it would have been too odd to stay there.

Emmett, Charlie, Rosalie, and Archie trailed after him, laden with far more groceries than Bella expected.

"You see, Bella?" Edward murmured, recapturing her attention. "This time, you're not alone. You're a strong mother of two, almost three, not a scared little girl. You have all of us here with you if you need us. But, Bella, my beautiful brave, _mi amore_ ," Edward's eyes shone with sincerity, "you don't need us. You've done this all before, remember? You've conquered this. You don't have to go today if you don't want to. Everyone would understand. But I think you'll regret it if you don't give yourself that closure."

Bella's heart raced. She knew, deep down, that he was right; she would regret not going today and getting that closure, once and for all. That was why they'd all come here in the first place, after all.

"I'm scared of being there. Of being trapped there."

Edward smiled gently. There it was; the thing she'd been holding back. "Bella, answer me this…where's Smith?" He almost growled the asshole's name.

A shiver rippled down Bella's spine. "Why? Why are you asking me that?"

"It's okay, baby. Just trust me, please. Where is he?"

A cloudy image of a grey gravestone back in England sprung into Bella's mind. She knew Smith had been cremated and buried somewhere, though she'd never asked for an exact location or seen his final resting place with her own eyes. "In England, somewhere," she finally answered.

"So, he's not here? He won't be there to meet us when we get to the ranch?"

Suddenly, Bella realised what Edward was doing. He was reminding her that Smith wasn't there; that he couldn't trap her anywhere ever again.

"Not a single person here is going to stop you from leaving whenever you damn well want to, Bella. Nobody is going to take that right away from you, not ever. If you want to leave after five minutes, it's fine. If you want to stay all day, that's fine, too."

Bella squeezed herself as close to Edward as their unborn son would allow, burying her face in the soft, cable-knot jumper he'd picked out. A solitary tear rolled over her cheek, losing itself in the material of Edward's sweater. "I love you."

Edward smiled and pressed a kiss to her head. "I love you, too, Bella."

 **~ oOo ~**

It transpired that the mammoth grocery haul was primarily made up of supplies for a giant barbecue. Emmett and Charlie had suggested it while they were at the store, and it had been declared a great idea. They'd stocked up on enough sausages, burgers, wings, steaks, and sides to feed an army.

"There's an army of us here, though, Bell," Emmett mumbled when Bella made her way downstairs and found him, Charlie, and Paul attempting to squash all the meat into the modest fridge.

She shook her head with a quiet laugh; it was useless debating food with Emmett. He, like Edward, could eat like a horse and still complain about being hungry afterward.

"Mamma, l-look! Me and Pawpaw got ice c-cream!"

Bella's smiled widened at Bodhi's excitement as he bounced over, a box of chocolate ice creams in hand. "You did? Well done, baby! They're my favourite."

Bodhi beamed with pride. "When are we goin' out, Mamma? Pawpaw said I gotta ask you."

An odd silence blanketed the room. Rosalie and Edward stopped their quiet conversation in the doorway to wait for Bella's answer.

"Um, it's up to Aunt Rose, too."

Rosalie cradled her baby bump, looking to Emmett for his supportive smile before sighing, "The sooner we go, the sooner we can get it over with, right?"

"Right." Bella turned to the mess the men were making in the fridge. "Here, let me take care of that. You guys all go get ready, and we'll go as soon as we're done."

Charlie, Peter, Paul, Emmett, and Archie wandered off to their rooms after rounding up the kids; Carl-Roman and Chase trailed after their dad while Marley and Bodhi followed Charlie, which left Rosalie and Edward to help Bella.

"Are you still sure you want little sweet and _tesoro_ to come today?" Edward asked quietly.

Bella looked toward the doorway, listening to Marley and Bodhi's laughter down the hall for a moment. "I can't…" Fear slithered into her stomach, landing a heavy rock in the pit of her belly. "The thought of leaving them here, even with Carlisle and Esme…I _can't_ , Edward."

Edward cradled Bella's face between his hands, leaning in until his comforting green gaze was just a few centimetres away from her fear-filled sea-green. "Hey, I was just wondering. Carlisle and Esme will be coming with us, so they can always take them and distract them if needed. I just didn't know if you'd changed your mind. I love you,

"This boy is going crazy today," Rosalie laughed, rubbing her stomach as she passed groceries to Bella.

Edward chuckled. "Our little guy's been crazy today, too. He woke Bella at four this morning."

Rosalie caught the frown on Bella's face before she could hide it; she was willing to bet the baby hadn't woken Bella at all. If their nights had been similar, Bella had likely been awake long before the baby began wriggling.

"Esme always reminds me that the baby can feel my emotions. Or if my heart is speeding or whatever, anyway," Bella said, pushing the last pack of burgers into the fridge. "I guess they're picking up on our nerves."

Rosalie stroked the bump housing Xavier, thinking reassuring thoughts toward her baby boy. She hated the idea that he was feeling or picking up on her nerves. He was perfectly innocent; she couldn't stand the notion of any part of that innocence being tainted by this place and the memories of the last time they were here.

"Come on," Bella said softly, taking one of Rosalie's hands. "Let's go get changed. We'll all be fine, okay?"

Rosalie and Bella shared a genuine smile as their joined hands brushed the spot Rosalie's baby was kicking. Bella moved their hands to the left of her belly; they waited a moment, then giggled as the baby within landed a solid kick to their touch.

Edward's phone clicking as he snapped a photo of the sweet moment pulled Bella and Rosalie's attention to him. He shrugged cheekily. "What?"

Shaking her head with an indulgent smile, Bella sighed, "All right, let's get moving."

By the time everyone piled out of the house clad in their coats, hats, gloves, and scarves, their host had arrived. As usual, he swept in like a king with a big grin for the children.

"Well, damn. You two must have grown a foot each overnight!" Riley exclaimed as Marley and Carl-Roman charged down the path to hug him. Anyone would think he'd been gone months, rather than two days. They'd flown ahead of him from New York, important business needing tending before he could leave, and now he'd joined them after two days in Montana.

"Uncle Riley! You're back!" Marley crowed, beaming up at him. "You're just in time. We're going out. Are you coming with us?"

Riley flashed Marley a wider smile and looked at the cluster of adults a few feet away. "I sure am, if that's okay with you, Ma'am?"

Marley giggled. "I guess you can come. Right, Carl-Roman?"

Carl-Roman shrugged with a mischievous smirk. "Well, I dunno…"

Despite the growing apprehension over the trip they were about to take, not one of the adults managed to stifle their smiles at the sound of Carl-Roman's laughter when Riley tickled him until he cried his surrender and said Riley could accompany them on their journey.

Riley had brought a large vehicle as well as his usual Explorer so that everyone could fit in two cars instead of the three smaller sedans they'd picked up from the airport. They bundled in, with Riley driving the larger of the two vans; Emmett volunteered to take his Explorer. The agent who'd driven it behind Riley climbed into one of the sedans once Riley offered the group the trade – the Explorer for the tan Taurus.

Bella, Edward, Charlie, Paul, Marley, and Bodhi piled in with Riley, leaving Archie and his boys to join Peter, Rosalie, and Emmett. The mood as they set off on the fifty-minute drive was sombre, the air laced with nervous anticipation.

Out of the entire group, only Riley had been back to the ranch in the years since the fire.

Since the girls' dramatic escape and Emmett's subsequent rescue.

Bella chewed nervously on her lip, caressing her bump with one hand, holding Edward's knee with the other as she gazed out at the scenery. March in Montana was cold. Almost freezing, in fact, although they'd lucked out with an unseasonably dry, still day. An incredibly biting wind had whipped across the south of the state the previous day and the oddly warm night meant much of the snow had melted, leaving a sparkly layer of partially frozen snow behind.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" Edward whispered, careful not to attract Marley or Bodhi's attention.

"I'm all right. I'm nervous, but all right." Bella blew out a long sigh. "I just don't know how I'll feel, you know? If I'll even recognise it when we get there."

Edward leaned over to kiss the side of Bella's head; he didn't know what to say, so he offered silent comfort instead.

As soon as they turned onto the last long road toward their destination, an icy chill licked through Bella's veins. Even through her jumper and padded coat, she could feel a bitter cold seeping into her bones. Despite never having laid eyes on this part of the track, Bella knew where she was; she knew they were getting close. Her heart felt as though it was ready to beat clean out of her chest as the gravelly, dusty road crunched beneath the tires.

"Mamma, where are we?"

Bella twisted as much as her seatbelt would allow, facing Marley.

"Mamma?" Marley's small voice and wary expression broke Bella's heart.

"Baby girl…" Bella trailed off. She hadn't been able to stomach the thought of leaving the children behind, but now she was regretting bringing them along now.

How on earth was she going to explain why they had returned, especially as she'd promised Marley numerous times that they'd never have to come back? After so many nightmares, Bella had vowed to never step foot here again, or to let Marley anywhere near.

Yet here they were, turning onto an eerily familiar bend in the road between two tall hills.

In the years since she left, Bella had occasionally wondered what she'd find if she ever returned. As Charlie gently explained to the children that they were just going on a little drive, Bella realised that all of her preconceived ideas were utterly wrong.

Instead of the looming shadows of the ranch house Bella expected to see, they found a vast expanse of prairie covered with sheets of sparkling snow. The white-capped mountains stood stern and tall in the background, a wide blanket of soft blue sky contrasting with the stark white of the ground. The sunlight reflected off the snow, almost blinding in its intensity. Riley slowed slightly to make sure the tires could grip the road, but soon, they came to a standstill.

A long breath whooshed from Bella's lungs. Even without the house, and snow covering the ground, Bella could tell exactly where it had once stood. A cluster of trees off to one side used to be directly in line with both the centre of their bedroom window and the tallest mountain to the west.

They were parked almost precisely where the drive used to end right in front of the entrance.

"Bells, are you okay?" Charlie asked softly, nervously.

 _I'm…_

"Yeah, I'm okay," Bella breathed. It was… _odd_ , seeing emptiness where she'd expected to see the house of torment.

" _Sc-Scarlett? Where are w-we?"_

 _Scarlett wheeled around. Snow. Snow. Snow. Mountains. Nothing._

" _Scarl-lett?" Rosalie stumbled through the snow to Scarlett, her teeth chattering. She was still wearing her school polo shirt and trousers, her jumper absent, just like Scarlett's. They'd both woken up hot, tangled around each other and an unfamiliar set of blankets, but it was freezing outside…wherever they were._

 _Scarlett let out a whimper and felt tears stinging her eyes. "I don't know, Rosie. I don't know where we are."_

 _Her head felt thick and heavy, like someone had shoved a bunch of cotton balls in there, and her tummy churned as she pulled Rosalie over, waded back through her footsteps, and huddled them together on the stoop. The porch stopped snow from landing on them, but it was falling fast and heavy. The barn opposite was already covered; the doors would undoubtedly be impossible to open._

 _The wind was howling, the sky a dark blue-grey and heavy with snow._

 _Scarlett felt a bone-rattling shiver tear through Rosalie and quickly tugged her back through the heavy wooden door; they'd left it open when they ran out into the cold to try and work out where they were. It slammed shut behind them, footsteps on the wooden floor making the girls spin around with twin gasps._

 _Smith stood there, thick arms crossed over his chest and a snarl on his face. "I told you to stay upstairs!" He barked._

 _Scarlett and Rosalie clutched each other's hands._

" _Where are we?" It was Scarlett who worked up the courage to ask._

 _Smith raised an eyebrow, surprised she'd spoken up. "That doesn't matter. Go back to your room, now. I told you not to come out unless you were told."_

 _As she opened her mouth to answer back, Scarlett felt Rosalie squeeze their joined hands hard. She bit the inside of her cheek, blinked back tears, and they quickly ran back up the wooden stairs, shutting the door behind them once they'd remembered which room they'd come from._

" _Daddy will come get us, right?" Rosalie asked, an obvious tremor in her voice. "And Uncle Chuck? They'll come pick us up, won't they, Scarlett?"_

 _Eight-year-old Scarlett swallowed the scream working its way up her throat and plastered a smile on her face, wrapping her best friend in a tight hug. "Sure, they will, Rose. They'll be here soon."_

" _Mamma? I want Mamma!"_ Marley's cries sucked Bella from the past and spat her back into the present with a bang.

* * *

 **I'm sorry to cut it there, but it just went on waaaay too long otherwise. Enjoy the rest of your weekend 3**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Hey, gang! I'm sorry this is late - I've had issue  
after issue with my laptop, but I've finally sorted it!  
Because of this, I'm a little behind with the next chapter,  
plus please hang tight and I'll get it to you ASAP.**

 **This was a super nostalgic chapter for me to write...taking the girls  
back to the ranch with their families in tow.**

 **I want to say a huge thank you to** annaharding **and** Sunflower Fran.  
 **It's officially been over a year since they both joined the Promises  
** **train and I couldn't be more grateful for their help and guidance.  
** **And what a crazy, fun-filled year it's been...**

 **Also, I want to thank each and every one of you for being patient  
and loving on this story, these characters, and me. You're all  
absolutely brilliant and I love you more than sweet Bodhi loves his  
'dot dogs' ;)**

 **Anyways...I'll let you get to it. Enjoy!**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Without realising, she'd climbed out of the car. Bella gasped, looking down at her feet. Scuffing her boot a little, she shivered as the snow moved and revealed dirt underfoot. Not wood, not the floor of the ranch house, but dirt. Regular, boring, safe dirt.

Edward poked his head out of the car, calling, "Bella, _mi amore_? Little sweet needs—"

"Me. She needs me." Bella hurried over, carefully pulling Marley from the car into her embrace. Marley wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and clung on until Bella set her feet on a nearby rock, so she wasn't holding her daughter's weight. As much as she wanted to wrap her baby up and protect her from the world, she was no longer small enough for Bella's small frame to hold – especially this pregnant.

"It's okay, baby girl. It's okay, it's okay. I've got you." Bella squeezed Marley, stroking one hand down her back while holding her impossibly tighter with the other. A guilty tear rolled over her cheek into Marley's fluffy pink hat. "Mamma's got you, sweet girl."

"Why? Why are we here?" she sobbed into Bella's shoulder, breaking her heart. "I d-don't want to b-be here. I don't want to g-go back to that _h-house_!" Marley's sobs turned into wails, every heaving cry tearing a new wound in Bella's heart as she desperately tried to calm her.

"Sweetheart," Esme cooed, offering Bella a reassuring but small smile as she carefully cupped Marley's face and pulled her back so she could meet her eyes. The little girl's gaze was accusatory and rimmed with red as she peered balefully between Esme and Bella. "What's upsetting you?"

"I don't _want_ to be here, Mimi," she sniffled, her eyes refusing to go anywhere but to the faces of her mimi and mamma. "I don't want to go back to that house. Mamma promised." Fresh tears tumbled over her cheeks as she stared at Bella, reminding her, "You _promised_!"

"Hey, look at me for a second. Okay? Take a big, deep breath…" When Marley sucked in a shaky breath, Esme smiled. "Now breathe out through your nose, sweetheart. That's it. And again."

After a few more, deep breaths, Esme leaned in to kiss Marley's forehead. "Well done. Now, can you take a quick look around for me, Marley? Can you tell me what you see?"

Panic lit Marley's features, but she took the hand Bella offered and held her breath as her eyes darted around…then she took a longer, second look, confusion starting to seep into her frown.

"What do you see?" Esme urged gently.

"Umm…snow. And fields, and some mountains."

"Do you see a house?"

"No…" She turned back to Bella then. "Mamma, I thought…I thought we were back _there_."

For a moment, Bella shoved the guilt at what she'd done, at bringing the children out here, to the back of her mind, and focused on Marley. "We are there, baby girl, but the house…the _people…_ they're all gone. It's just us here, okay? Just me, and you, and Mimi…"

Marley visibly relaxed as she looked over toward the cars – at Riley, Charlie, Peter, and Edward standing close by, but still staying out of the way while she had her moment with Esme and Bella.

"It's just us?" she asked softly with a sigh.

"I promise, baby girl," Bella told her. Marley threw her arms back around Bella's neck and mumbled an apology. "Hey, don't you dare apologise, all right? Not for being upset."

Now much calmer, Marley stepped down from the big boulder and peered around at their surroundings, her mitten-clad hand clasped firmly with Bella's as she tucked herself against her mamma's side. Bella wished she could see what was going on in her daughter's mind, her expression contemplative.

The rest of the group slowly disembarked, joining them in the snow. Rosalie walked straight to Bella to give her a hard hug around their bellies before pressing a kiss to Marley's head and telling her how proud she was.

Edward also joined them, dropping to his knees, despite Marley's protests that his knees would get cold, to give his daughter a hug.

"Daddy," she giggled, tugging at his shoulders. "Get up, silly!"

He huffed a long breath and cupped her face, gently bumping their foreheads together with a closed-eyed hum. "You're my best girl, you know that, little sweet?"

"Yeah, Daddy," Marley told him, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of his nose before he could stand up. "Like Mamma's your best Wifey, and Beesy is your best boy."

With the immediate panic diffused, Rosalie and Bella shared a loaded look.

"How does it feel? To be here?" Emmett asked, looping an arm around Bella's shoulders and one around Rosalie's.

"It's…weird. I expected…more? I don't know how to describe it," Bella admitted with obvious frustration, her eyes travelling over the far-off ridges of the mountains before sweeping over the sheets of sparkling white snow. "Of course, I knew the house wouldn't be here, but I didn't expect it to all look so bare and _normal_."

Rosalie hummed, resting her cheek against Emmett's chest as she watched a lone bird soaring overhead. "I saw the house explode, but it's still strange to be here without it."

Rosalie wasn't wrong.

Bella, Edward, and Marley walked hand-in-hand through the snow, taking their time to absorb their emotions and to gather their thoughts. Rosalie and Emmett hung back near the cars with Peter, Archie, and his boys, while Riley, Paul, Charlie, and Bodhi lingered a little way away, talking quietly, Bodhi content in his pawpaw's arms.

"Mamma?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

Marley was frowning up at her mamma as she asked, "Does it make you sad? Being here?"

Bella took a moment to think, before admitting, "A little. I'm not sad because I miss it, because I don't. Not at all." She needed Marley to be clear on that. There was very little Bella could say to get that point across without upsetting Marley again, but the little girl's solemn nod told Bella that she knew what she meant. "I think I'm sad because we spent a lot of time here, away from Pawpaw, your uncles, cousins, and all our friends back home."

Marley sighed, her eyes unfocused as she stared out toward where the house used to stand, tall and imposing. They'd wandered a hundred metres or so away, so the rest of the family looked small against the stark white backdrop of the mountains and bright blue sky.

"That m-man…the one who stole you? He's not here anymore?"

"Oh, baby girl, _no_ ," Bella breathed, tears stinging her eyes as she turned and cradled her daughter's face. "That man, he's gone, Marley. He's never coming back. Not ever. He can't hurt any of us ever again, okay? Do you understand?"

"He's…dead? Like Nonno Enrico?" Her eyes darted toward Edward, who nodded.

"Yeah, little sweet, like Nonno Enrico."

With it put this way, in terms Marley could relate to, Smith's absence seemed to sink in. Marley's smile was stronger as she looked between her parents, giving her mamma's hand a squeeze before facing her daddy.

"Daddy, thank you for saving us."

Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks as Edward shakily fell to his knees and pulled Marley in for a hard hug. "Oh, little sweet…" he croaked. "You've got it all wrong, my girl. Daddy didn't save you - you, Mamma, and Beesy, you saved me."

He'd told Bella the same thing numerous times; often when she apologised for being a mess or uprooting his life. He'd had a simple, uncomplicated life before they came back.

He had his beautiful home in Italy, a steady income from his music videos online, and he could do whatever he pleased, whenever he pleased.

Within a matter of a couple of weeks after Riley's call to say Rosalie and Bella had been found, he'd gone from being an unattached, single man to the very best support Bella could ever have wished for - for herself or her daughter.

Without Edward, those early days after her rescue…they would have been infinitely harder.

And now, as she looked at Edward speaking quietly to Marley now, a handful of years later with their best boy just a shouting distance away and their own baby kicking up a storm in her belly, Bella couldn't help but echo her daughter's sentiments.

 _Thank you for saving us, Hubs. I know you think we saved you, but you're so, so wrong._

Lost in thought, Bella didn't notice the quiet crunching of feet on snow until it was too late.

"Ah! What the- _Emmett?_ " Edward brushed snow from his shoulder, turning on his haunches to glare incredulously at Emmett as he advanced on the trio.

Emmett grinned impishly, brandishing a second snowball. "What?"

Back at the cars, the rest of the group were laughing heartily at Emmett's sneak attack.

Desperate for a reprieve from all the high emotions, Bella quickly motioned for Emmett to keep Edward distracted before making a snowball of her own; Marley followed suit, biting her lip to stifle her giggles.

"Could you not see we were talking? Christ, man, I-"

"Go," Bella whispered, her delighted laughter harmonising with Marley's when their perfectly coordinated balls of snow hit Edward's chest as he straightened up.

"Hey!"

Bella chewed her lip, rubbing her bump as Edward turned his shocked gaze on her and their daughter. The moment it clicked in his eyes was evident.

 _I need a distraction, Hubs. Play along._

"Oh, you girls just made a mistake. You're gonna get it now."

Marley let out a panicked squeal and launched herself at her guffawing uncle, crying, "You'll have to catch us first, Daddy! Mamma, run!"

Emmett took off with Marley, leaving Edward and Bella grinning at each other. "I need a head start, Hubs. I'm handicapped, here."

Pointing at the large bump jutting out from her middle, Bella offered him a wry smirk.

"You get ten seconds, _mi amore._ Go."

 **~ oOo ~**

It was no surprise to anybody that Rosalie and Bella were the first to tire. They sat heavily on the rock Marley had stood on when they first arrived, content to catch their breath and watch the rest of the adults running around with the children.

They'd split into teams.

Charlie, Esme, Riley, Bodhi, Chase, and Edward made up one team, while Paul, Emmett, Carl-Roman, Carlisle, Marley, and Archie made up the other. They rained hastily made snowballs on each other, their laughter and squeals the only sound for miles.

"This is…so surreal," Rosalie breathed, her eyes bright and damp with threatening tears as she watched her husband use Marley as a shrieking, human shield. "Are you still glad we came?"

Bella took a moment to think the question over before replying honestly. "I am," she murmured. "I'd always wondered…well, I guess I'd built up this notion in my head that the house was still here and nothing had changed."

"Bella! You can't…you shouldn't think like that. Jesus, _everything_ has changed."

Smiling wryly, Bella admitted, "Edward said the same thing this morning. In my heart, I always knew that, but I needed to persuade my head. I know everyone thought we were crazy for coming here, but we can put it behind us now. I can stop picturing this place how it was now I've seen that it's all gone."

Linking their gloved fingers together, Rosalie nodded. "I understand."

Of course, she did. Nobody understood this better than Rosalie. After all, everything they'd been through, they'd been through together. In seven weeks, it would be the third anniversary of their escape from this place.

Three whole years since they drove away in a rust-bucket truck.

Bella's eyes found Emmett; without him, they wouldn't have escaped at all. Thanks to his quick thinking, they'd managed to get off the ranch and be free for the first time in twelve years.

In three years, just like Rosalie said, everything had changed.

They'd gone from frightened girls to strong, independent women. Bella had welcomed a second child, a gorgeous little brother for Marley, who'd grown into a delightful child under the love and care of her extended family.

Rosalie and Bella had finally made it home after more than a decade of dreaming. They were reunited with their families and friends, and flourishing both mentally and physically.

Emmett and Rosalie had gotten married, and Bella and Edward's relationship had morphed from a childhood friendship to a deep, lasting, love-filled connection. As she rubbed her coat-covered bump, Bella smiled; _and now we have our own little one joining the gang._ Rosalie and Emmett's Xavier, too, of course.

They sat there, contemplating how good their lives were now for a little while longer before the snowball fighters called a ceasefire. The self-appointed captains - Emmett and Riley - shook hands in the middle of the battlefield before shaking snow from their hair and leading the troops back toward the car.

"Mamma, Mamma, Mamma!" Bodhi cheered, tearing through the snow to clamber up and sit beside Bella.

"Yeah, baby?" Bella brushed an errant curl from his forehead, tucking it back under his hat.

He gave her a rosy-cheeked smile. "Uncle Riley s-says we're g-gonna ha-have hot dogs and burgers for d-dinner!"

"Oh, really?" Bella teased, leaning in closer to boop his nose. "Well, Uncle Riley's right. We're going to have a big barbecue. Does that sound good?"

Marley, Carl-Roman, and Chase had joined them by then; they all cheered their agreement and climbed into the car with Esme's assistance.

As everyone else brushed snow from their clothes and started loading themselves into the vehicles, Bella found herself alone with Paul.

He wore a sheepish expression as he pointed to the rock. "You mind if I sit with you for a second?"

"Uh, no. Go ahead."

He huffed, brushing invisible lint from his jeans. "I'm sorry. For everything that happened when we were here before. I know you told me that you don't regret it because of Bodhi, but I needed to say it."

Bella's eyes followed Bodhi as Edward flew him through the air and then threatened to drop him in the snow. Bodhi's squeals made his mamma smile. "I forgive you," she said simply.

Paul released a long sigh, tilting his head toward her with an incredulous frown. "Just like that? I behaved... _abysmally_. And now, now I'm here, interrupting your happy family life, and you still don't hate me?"

"I've spent a lot of time hating," Bella admitted softly, her eyes dark and stormy when she sighed and met Paul's gaze. "I'm tired of feeling hatred toward anyone. I can't...I _won't_ forgive Smith, but you...we were both wrong to do what we did. I was stupid and out of my mind, and you should have known better than to take advantage, but that mistake gave me my baby boy, so how could I be mad about that?"

Paul flinched even though he knew Bella's words about taking advantage weren't intended to hurt him. Their time together since Bodhi's birthday back in August, when he'd tracked them down at their house, had shown him that first and foremost, she was a thinker. She went over every scenario in her head before taking any action; he admired that about her. It was a quality he sought and liked in his business associates. Bella was also loyal and forgiving to a fault.

She could so easily have made this entire process - him spending time with Bodhi - more difficult than it needed to be. Instead, she'd let him into their lives, albeit only for a handful of days a month, but after the way he'd treated her it was more than he had any right to expect. This trip...it had opened his eyes to their family dynamics in more ways than one, that was for sure.

"You coming, _mi amore_?" Edward called, his gaze questioning as he hesitated a few feet away, one hand outstretched.

Bella carefully pushed up and off the rock, offering Paul a small smile as she nodded toward the cars. "You coming? We've got a feast to demolish back at the rental house."

Guilt wormed its way through his veins as Paul stood and nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead, then intensified as he listened to Bella, Edward, Marley, and Bodhi playing _I Spy_ all the way back to the rental.

How was he going to go through with his plan when he'd already, unexpectedly, grown attached to this mish-mashed family?

 **~ oOo ~**

"Dot dog, pwease, Mamma!" Bodhi mumbled around a mouthful of potato salad.

Bella raised an eyebrow.

Bodhi quickly chewed his food and swallowed before shooting her a bashful smile. "Sorry for talkin' w-with my mouth fu-full, Mamma."

As she slid a hot dog into a bun and set it in front of him, Bella pressed a kiss to her son's mop of curls and smiled. "That's okay, baby boy. Eat up."

The barbecue was a big hit. While they were out at the ranch, Riley had arranged for agents to fetch a bigger grill, so the men had taken turns manning the enormous piece of equipment at the end of the paved yard. The women had taken over the sides, preparing large bowls of coleslaw, potato and pasta salad, corn on the cob, green salads, and a variety of different chips, vegetable sticks, and dips.

The children had been thoroughly enjoying Riley's surprise gift since they returned from the ranch - the playhouse with an attached slide had been received with cheers and 'thank yous' aplenty from the four youngsters.

Despite the slight chill in the air, it was an enjoyable way to end what had been an emotional day.

Bella took her seat at the table, content to just take it all in.

Edward, Emmett, Charlie, Archie, and Peter were at the grill, laughing and joking with cans of beer in their hands and smiles on their faces. Paul and Riley had disappeared inside a little while ago, but Bella could hear the low timbre of Riley's voice through the open window, so they hadn't gone far.

With Esme videoing, Rosalie was helping Chase spear pieces of fruit from the hollowed-out watermelon the children had requested; it was filled with chunks of melon, apple, grapes, banana, and more; all delicious and healthy compared to the donuts and cakes the men had chosen from the store.

Carl-Roman and Marley were over at the playhouse, alternating turns on the slide. Bella grinned at the pair of them - cousins who'd had vastly different early childhoods, but got on so well and complemented each other's personalities brilliantly. Just a year apart, they were so very similar in both appearance and behaviour.

As for Bodhi...as usual, he liked to stick close to his mamma. He sat beside her at the table scarfing food as if he'd never eaten before. His hair stuck up all over the place, and he had a smear of ketchup across his cheek, but he'd never looked more adorable. Bella couldn't help but stare at him until a soft cough and a hand on her shoulder distracted her.

"Hey, _mi amore_. Can I borrow you for a second?" Something about Edward's intense green eyes and the slight lilt of a plea in his tone stopped Bella from protesting as he gently tugged her to her feet and led her inside. As they reached the door, Bella heard Esme calling Bodhi to help her with something.

They made it all the way up the stairs to their temporary bedroom before either of them said another word. He moved further into the room than Bella; she closed the door, making to step toward him.

"Edward, are you— _oh_."

Like a lithe cat, he turned to slowly stalk toward her. His gaze was heated and burned her skin as his fists clenched at his sides. She took a step back, her spine resting against the cool wood of the door. The predatory look in his eyes should have scared her, but it was familiar and ignited heat low in her belly.

" _Edward,_ " Bella breathed when he came to a stop right in front of her, close enough that she could feel his body heat and the harsh breath he sputtered out.

"Tell me to stop, and I will, but so help me God…" He raked a hand through his copper mane before lifting his eyes to hers. The raw emotion there made her gasp. "I'm so very proud of you, _mi amore._ I can't…I don't know how to verbalise everything I'm feeling right now. I just…I need…"

"Me. You need me." Bella reached up to caress his stubbly cheek, curling her hand around the back of his neck to tug him down until she could reach him. Taking her touch as permission, Edward groaned as their lips collided. His hands immediately wound their way into her hair, his body pressing against hers as much as the bump would allow. Their tongues fought for dominance, teeth nipped, and hearts raced.

Electricity zapped between their bodies with every touch, every lick, every kiss. Hands began to roam, and frustration drew Edward's brows down into a frown.

"Come here." Bella scooted out from between him and the door, pulling him over to the bed. A little of their urgency abated as Edward slowly undressed Bella, kissing every inch of skin he revealed when her long top came off, followed by her leggings and underwear. Kneeling in front of her, he let his hands cup either side of her bump and pressed a lingering kiss just above her belly button. "Go to sleep for a bit, buddy," he whispered, winking up at Bella.

She shook her head, a smile curling her lips as a flush spread across her cheeks. "Come here."

Edward had never been able to tell her 'no.'

He stood, impatiently tearing his clothes from his body. Edward cocked his head at Bella when she pouted and lightly stroked a finger from the waistband of his black briefs, over his abs, and up to his sternum, eliciting a shiver. "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to undress you."

Warmth infused the dark jade of Edward's eyes as he leaned down to brush the tip of her nose with a sweet kiss.

"Next time."

Carefully, sweetly, he laid her down on the bed and made tender love to her, showing Bella with his touch, his kisses, and his murmured words how much she amazed him with her courage and determination.

When they were both sated and panting, he leaned up on one arm and stroked the bump housing their son.

"I'm just…I can't put into words how awed I was by you today, _mi amore_."

Bella peered up at him as she fought to catch her breath. "Thank you for coming with me. I know it must have killed you."

"It wasn't easy, but I'm under no illusions that it was a million times harder for you and Rose. You were both amazing. The strength you both possess is just extraordinary." He leaned down, raining butterfly kisses over her collarbones, up her neck, to her cheek. Resting his nose against her soft skin and closing his eyes, Edward sighed. "What really matters is that you and Rose got what you needed from the trip. Do you think you did? Was it what you expected?"

"No, not at all." Bella let herself briefly picture the old ranch house, then replaced the memory with the image of the snow-blanketed meadow. "It was _so_ not what I expected, but it helped. I feel…lighter, if that makes sense? I can let it go now that I know the house is gone. I needed to see that, I think."

Edward nodded, but didn't pull away. They rested together for a few more minutes, listening to the faint sounds of the children singing in the garden. "Riley's teaching them that song again," Edward eventually whispered, amusement creeping into his tone.

"Hmmm," Bella hummed, smiling. Riley had made it his mission to teach the children the New York Giants' fight song while they were here. He'd offered to take the entire family to a game, but they'd politely declined; they were all impatient to return to normality and get home, as much as they enjoyed Riley's company.

"Do you think we did the right thing by taking Marley today?" Bella asked suddenly just as Edward was contemplating getting up.

He frowned, lifting up his head a little. Bella was chewing the inside of her cheek, her eyes closed as she waited for his answer.

"I think she needed closure just as much as you and Rose," he began. "But I think we're going to have a very clingy, unsure little sweet for a while. She's tried to stick quite close to at least one of us since we got back."

Nodding, Bella admitted she'd noticed their daughter's apprehension whenever she or Edward were out of sight. With a sigh, she heaved herself upright. "We need to go back downstairs. She's probably wondering where we are."

Edward and Bella helped each other get redressed; he leaned down to kiss her forehead as she reached for the door handle. "I love you, _mi amore_. More today than yesterday, and I'll love you even more tomorrow."

 _This man…_

Warmth infused every cell in Bella's body as she stretched onto her tiptoes and tugged Edward down by his T-shirt. "I love you, Hubs," she mumbled against his lips between quick kisses. "Now, let's get back to our babies."

 **~ oOo ~**

A scream in the night woke Bella from a restless sleep.

Moving quickly wasn't something that came easily at this point in her pregnancy, but Bella was up and out of bed before her brain could catch up with the idea that it might not be safe for her to tear out of her room alone.

She was down the hall and opening the door within thirty seconds, and had Marley wrapped in her arms within another ten.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay. Mamma's here. Mamma's got you."

Carl-Roman was rubbing his eyes across the room, but thankfully, the youngest two boys were still asleep – somehow. Bella wasn't sure if she was just more attuned to the sound of her children's cries or Chase and Bodhi were just deep sleepers.

"Aunt Bella? S'Mars okay?" Carl-Roman asked sleepily, his eyes already half-lidded as he dropped back toward his pillow.

As Edward arrived, carefully scooping his quietly sobbing daughter into his arms, Bella crossed the bedroom to kiss Carl-Roman's forehead and tuck him back in. "She's fine, sweetheart. Just a nightmare. You go back to sleep. Sweet dreams, handsome. Love you."

"Love— _yawn—_ you, too, Aunt Bella."

With Carl-Roman settled, Bella followed Edward and Marley into their bedroom. They curled up on the bed together, Marley pressing herself against her daddy as she soaked his chest with tears. Her little hands were clasped tightly around his neck, every cry and every whimper tearing another hole in Bella's heart.

 _I did this. My selfishness and inability to leave her behind today caused this._

"Little sweet," Edward murmured, running a hand over her sleep-mussed hair and down her back; over and over, he repeated the motion until she sucked in a deep breath and let out a hiccup. "Little sweet, you're okay. Mamma and Daddy are here. We've got you, you're safe."

Through blood-shot eyes, Marley looked up at her dad's face, then twisted her head to look at Bella. The look on her face broke her guilty mother's heart. Edward's, too.

"I…I had a nightmare, Daddy."

He shuffled down until their heads were both on the same pillow, then cupped her cheek and stroked tears from below her large, sorrowful eyes. "I know, little sweet. Let's talk about it, okay?"

She was already shaking her head before he'd finished talking. "No, I don't want to."

"Baby girl, remember what Irina told us? About nightmares, and how they're so much worse if we keep them all bottled up in our brains?" Bella reminded her gently, shifting to lay behind her on her side, so she was sandwiched between her two parents and unborn baby brother, who was now wide-awake and fidgeting thanks to Bella's sudden movement.

"I remember," Marley mumbled, holding her tummy. "I've got a tummy ache, Daddy."

Frowning, Bella met Edward's worried gaze over the top of Marley's head. "Is it a poorly tummy ache, or is it because you're worried about your nightmare?"

Recently, whenever Marley got too anxious about something, she complained of a tummy ache. Bella and Edward had discussed it with Irina at her last appointment before their trip, and she'd brought up the possibility that it was anxiety. They'd agreed to monitor it closely over the following weeks and months, but judging by this episode, it was pretty likely that anxiety was the culprit.

Marley reiterated that she didn't want to talk about her nightmare no matter how much Bella and Edward tried to coax her, but she also refused to return to her own bed and clung to her daddy until Bella agreed that she could sleep with them. The trio finally fell back to sleep after an hour or so, but it wasn't long before Bella and Edward were woken by their daughter whimpering and crying out the one name they'd hoped to never again hear from her lips.

They shared a worried gaze as they sat up and tried to comfort Marley, every muttered word a kick in the teeth.

"Bad-man. Bad-man. Bad-man. No- _oo_ , don't let the bad-man take me, Mamma."

* * *

 **I'm sorry - I know this is going to go down like a lead balloon with most of you. *shields self from rotten tomatoes***

 **If you haven't already, please join my new page on Facebook -** CiaraShayee's Subconscious **. I'll be posting teasers, pics, etc. I'll also probably ramble a bit about my writing and inspiration as I go along, so if that's something that interests you, or you just want to come chat with me, please feel free to come find me there :)**

 **Happy hump day, everybody! xo**


	15. Hop Little Bunnies - An Easter Outtake

**Happy Easter, everyone! This outtake was  
completely unplanned – I woke up this morning  
and had the idea, so I've written this in between  
(and during – shame on me) dinner at my mother-in-law's  
and noshing on the eggs my hubs-to-be got me. He's a  
keeper, for sure ;)**

 **Because it was so last minute, this is completely**  
 **unbeta'd. I've read through it a few times and I**  
 **think I caught every little error, but if there are any**  
 **left, I apologise.**

 **All the familiar characters of course belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Easter; a time for contemplation, gratefulness,  
and spending time with family. And in the Swan-Cullen-Hale  
households…a time for laughter, loving, and chocolate. Lots  
and lots of chocolate. __An Easter outtake from the Promises gang._

 **Hop Little Bunnies**

 _ **Sunday – April 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2020**_

" _Mm…_ Hubs?"

Edward's lips curled up against Bella's skin. "What's wrong, _mi amore_?"

Pressing her head back into the pillow, Bella sucked in a deep breath and forced her eyes open, peering down over her body. Edward's emerald eyes glinted back at her over her bump, full of mischief.

"Nothing's _wrong_ … _oh_ …" She let out a soft sigh as he resumed the ministrations that had woken her, his lips brushing kisses over the bottom of her bump. Every now and then, he was low enough for his scruffy chin to brush the waistband of her leggings; she'd given up trying to squeeze herself into pyjamas, but her many trips to the toilet throughout the night meant she needed something to wear to bed so she could make it. The baby had made a sport of using her bladder as a trampoline.

Edward's borrowed t-shirt had ridden up over her comfy nursing bra, but that didn't stop him sneaking a hand up to tease the underside of her breasts as he continued kissing her into deliriousness.

With her mind still foggy from sleep, Bella mumbled a few unintelligible words before groaning; his mouth had reached the waistband of her pizza print leggings.

" _Oh, God…_ "

Nobody was happier than Edward to realise that Bella's libido had gone through the roof rather than disappearing. There were still five weeks to go before their baby's due date, but unlike her previous two pregnancies, Bella's hormones had rocketed higher each week she progressed.

Edward definitely wasn't complaining. They'd had to adjust to accommodate Bella's ever-growing bump, but that just meant they'd had to be more creative.

As she squirmed and tried to pull Edward up her body with gentle tugs on his hair, Bella felt disappointment battering her right where want and need were creating a whirlpool in the pit of her stomach.

"Edward, stop. You've got to stop." She quickly tugged down her t-shirt and tapped his head. His wide-eyed, heated, confused gaze found her just as a tap on the door and a cheerful "Mamma? Daddy?" preceded wiggling of the door handle.

" _Cazzo_ ," Edward muttered, rolling onto his back and pulling the covers up to his waist. Huffing a long, heavy breath, he desperately willed himself to calm down as Bella heaved herself up and righted her clothes before climbing from the bed.

 _Thank God we remembered to lock the door last night_ , she thought.

Despite her frustration at being left wanting, Bella couldn't help but grin at her sweet baby boy's slow smile when she opened the door and found him standing there. His hair was wild on one side, flat to his head on the other. He'd lost his pyjama shirt at some point. The safari pyjama bottoms he picked out the previous night were low on his waist with one leg scrunched up to his knee.

"You look adorable, baby," she finally sighed, pressing a kiss to her fingertips before touching them to his cheek. Bending over or picking him up for cuddles wasn't possible at this point, so that would have to do.

"I'm not a baby, Mamma," Bodhi told her sagely. His big eyes lit up. "It's Easter, Mamma. Pawpaw says we've gotta find the chocolate e-eggs!"

 _Oh_. Of course; thanks to Edward's unexpected method of waking her, Bella had completely forgotten it was Easter Sunday.

"Can I get Daddy? He s-said he was g-gonna help us."

"Daddy's just getting dressed, baby." Bella took Bodhi's hand and turned him under her arm until he was facing the stairs. "Come on, we'll go downstairs and find Pawpaw, and Daddy will be up soon."

 **~ oOo ~**

A little while later, once he'd taken a cold shower, Edward joined Bella downstairs with the kids and the rest of the family.

Everyone had gathered at Charlie's and close to a hundred eggs had been scattered between the Swan-Hale-Whitlock houses.

Jasper and Alice brought their boys over, Archie, Poppy, and their combined four children had arrived shortly after, and of course Marley and Bodhi were there. Bella's friend Alyssa had also come with Riley, bringing the total number of children up to nine.

Until Carlisle and Esme called a few minutes before they were due to start the colossal egg hunt, anyway.

" _Mi amore_? Please can you grab the phone?" Edward called, wrangling Bodhi and Callum away from the patio doors where they were trying to get a head-start on the egg hunting.

Scooping the phone from the kitchen counter, Bella caught Esme's name flashing on the screen before she raised it to her ear.

"Hey, Mimi."

Everyone had adopted the kids' name for her at this point.

" _Bella._ "

Right away, the tone of Esme's voice had Bella worried. She sounded frantic and stressed; two emotions she'd never seen Esme show.

"What's wrong? Are you and Carl okay?"

" _We're fine, we're fine. Look, I've had a call from our adoption agent. The foster home where the children are staying has had a small fire. Everyone's okay, everyone's okay…_ "

It sounded more like Esme was trying to reassure herself of that than anything else, so Bella didn't interrupt.

" _The upshot is they've asked us if we'll take the children earlier than planned and…truth be told, I'm freaking out. Is it okay if we still come and bring them along? Carl and I are on our way out the door to go pick them up, so we'll be a bit late._ "

"Oh, Mimi…" Bella breathed, overcome with emotion. She knew how desperately Carlisle and Esme had longed for children of their own. Being matched with a sibling group hadn't been on their radar until it happened; being matched with a sibling group of _six_ hadn't even seemed like a possibility. Yet here they were, just a month away from taking them in, and they were being asked to take them early. They'd spent the past month visiting them as much as possible, getting to know their new children – five boys and a girl. They were aged between six and fourteen years old and had been in foster care together since the youngest – the girl – was just a year old.

The entire family couldn't wait to meet them, but nobody had expected to meet them this soon.

Still, Bella was excited and nervous for Esme and Carlisle.

"Of course, it's okay! We'll hold off the hellions for a bit, and I'll get the guys to hide a few more eggs. You take your time, okay? I'm so happy for you both."

Esme sniffled. " _Thank you, sweetheart. Quite frankly, we're terrified, but this is what we've always wanted. It's just overwhelming. Anyway, I'll quit jabbering on. Carl's ready to go, so we'll see you soon._ "

"Yep, see you soon. Good luck!"

Everyone was overjoyed when Bella called them together to share Esme and Carlisle's news. The children were excited to be getting new friends, and the adults all knew how much Esme and Carlisle wanted this.

Distracting Dave, Clarke, Marley, Bodhi, Carl-Roman, Chase, Callum, Chloe, and Riley was no easy task, but the men took it on with quick-thinking and stealthily hidden bunny ears.

"Okay, kiddos…" Charlie clapped his hands to get their attention. Nine eager faces, as well as Sammy and Faith, stared back at him. "To participate in the Easter egg hunt, you all need to look the part. I've hidden your ears all over the house, so you've gotta find them to be able to look for your eggs."

Gathering them all in a line, he crouched in front of them with his arms outstretched at his sides. "All right…ready, set…go!"

A stampede of footsteps and heavy paws tore through the house leaving the laughing adults in their wake.

"Okay, that should keep 'em busy for a bit," Charlie announced proudly.

 **~ oOo ~**

He was right; it did keep them busy.

Carl-Roman piggy-backed Callum down the stairs with the last pair of bunny ears on his head and Sammy hot on their heels just as Peter shouted through that Carlisle and Esme had pulled up in the minivan.

The guys had all laughed at Carlisle's consternation when he'd had to switch his sleek BMW for a minivan that would seat all six children, plus him and Esme, and leave enough room for storage.

Bella quickly grabbed the spare pairs of bunny ears from the side and pulled Edward along behind her from the living room into the kitchen. Looking around at everyone – the dogs and children waiting impatiently by the French doors, Charlie, Emmett and Rosalie over at the breakfast bar, Peter, Archie, and Poppy – Bella smiled.

"Okay, everyone be nice!"

They trilled their laughing agreement and straightened up, their eyes turning to the doorway as Esme bustled in with a wide-eyed, excited but nervous expression on her face.

"Oh, don't stare and overwhelm them. Get started, honestly," she stage-whispered, relaxing a little when everyone quit staring and set about looking busy.

"Okay, gang, get hunting! And remember, big kids have to help the little kids!" Peter called, opening the French doors. The children spilled out with their baskets in their hands and bunny ears on their heads.

At the same time, six nervous children arrived with Carlisle herding them and Esme doing her best not to fuss. Only Edward, Bella, and Rosalie were left in the kitchen with them, everyone else in the garden sneaking curious glances through the windows.

"All right, everyone. This is my nephew, Edward, his fiancée, Bella, and this is Rosalie," Esme told them gently, her hand resting on the shoulder of a shaggy-haired boy Bella put at around ten or eleven years old.

"Hi," he said softly, elbowing his younger brother. "I'm Albie, this is James, that's William."

Bella quickly tried to attach the names to the faces – Albie, the shaggy-haired boy, James and William, identical twins a little younger than Albie. Those two would be hard to remember; they were identical right down to the awkward little smiles they offered as they murmured 'hello' in unison.

"This is Hunter, Sophie…" Albie pointed to the smallest boy and the little girl with her face tucked into his side before turning his head to nod at the taller, obviously older boy standing behind him. "And that's Mitch."

Wearing a wide smile, Bella waddled a little closer to hand each of them their own pair of bunny ears. Cute little Sophie with her enormous blue eyes and wild blonde ringlets gave her a brilliant, gap-toothed grin when she settled a fluffy pair of pink ears on her head.

"Thank you, Mith Bella."

Edward managed to bite back a smirk, seeing the way Bella's eyes welled up; he knew she was swooning over the adorable little girl without Bella having to say a word.

"You're very welcome, sweetie." Turning to Mitch, she toned down her smile and wagged a pair of grey ears in front of him. "You don't have to wear them, if you don't want to, but you're more than welcome…"

Mitch was taller than her and obviously tense. He was clearly the oldest at fourteen, but he looked older and wiser than his tender years as he shook his head. "No, thanks."

Nodding, Bella looked between his younger siblings and waved Rosalie over with the egg baskets.

Emmett's over-excitement when purchasing supplies had been a godsend, it turned out. They had more than enough for the surprise extra guests to have a basket each.

"Okay, we've got eggs scattered pretty much everywhere outside, so grab as many as you can. The other kids out there will help you, okay? And we're all right here if you need any help."

It was endearing to see how they all – with the exception of Mitch, who just seemed sullen – looked to Esme for her okay to go and start hunting. She cheerily waved them toward the doors, Carlisle heading out with them once he'd donned the ears Mitch had refused.

"C'mon, kids. I'll show you how it's done."

Esme watched her husband and the children go with tears gathering on her lashes and a shaky smile. Bella couldn't help but shed a few tears as Edward pulled Esme into a tight embrace and murmured softly to her.

"Gosh, I didn't realise how much I'd love seeing them here in a real home," she croaked. "It's one thing to imagine it, but it's so overwhelming to see it."

"They seem like a good bunch. A bit nervous, but that lot will put that right," Edward joked, nodding towards the gaggle of kids introducing themselves and pointing the newbies toward the eggs hidden around the garden in hedges, flowerbeds, and on the climbing frame in the Whitlocks' garden.

" _C'mon, you guys. You've got to hop, like this."_

The children cackled at Carlisle hopping across the garden before trailing after him in a wiggly line of hopping bunnies.

" _That's it, you've got it, Soph!"_ Carlisle cheered, swooping a giggling Sophie into his arms without missing a single hop. _"Hop little bunnies, hop!"_

With adoration lighting her gaze and a hand on her heart, Esme watched as her family expanded before her eyes.

 **~ oOo ~**

By the time all the eggs had been hunted, the children were one big herd of excited chatter, chocolaty faces, and friendly smiles. The only one still lingering back a bit was Mitch, but as Bella, Rosalie, and Esme carried plates of food out to the long tables assembled across the gardens, they saw him beside Edward, Bodhi on his lap as the little boy showed Mitch something on his tablet.

"He's warming up," Rosalie told Esme quietly with a wink and a smile.

Esme nodded, her voice thick. "It'll take time; I was expecting it to take a while."

They set the plates out and ordered everyone to tuck in. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining without a single cloud in the sky. The family had expanded beyond the capabilities of any of the kitchens belonging to Charlie, Peter, or Jasper; it worked out well to have such beautiful weather, so they could all sit outside on the long picnic benches Edward, Emmett, Charlie, and Peter had fashioned out of leftover wood from a kitchen renovation.

"All right, everyone," Charlie stood and clinked his glass and waited for the chatter to die down before continuing with a wide grin.

"It's a pleasure to have everyone here today. We've had lots of fun finding all the eggs, haven't we, kiddos?"

There was a resounding cheer from the chocolate-hyper children which made their parents chuckle.

"So, before we eat, me and Pete have got one last egg each to give our girls."

Bella and Rosalie shared twin looks of confusion across the table, then they looked to their other halves. "Do you know what they're up to?" Bella asked Edward as Charlie and Peter scurried back indoors.

Edward rubbed the back of his neck with a frown. "No idea. They've been a bit squirrely recently, but I don't know…"

Charlie and Peter returned - each carrying a large, foil-wrapped egg. Bella's was pink, Rosalie's purple. They shot each other puzzled smiles as the eggs were set in front of them.

"Girls," Peter started. "We know we're getting old, and we're fast approaching the point of pis—er, _annoying_ you to the point of no return by being in your faces all the time."

Laughter bubbled out of Bella and Rosalie - as well as the rest of the adults. The children shot Peter confused looks; except Mitch. He smirked, clearly knowing the word Peter had stopped himself from finishing.

"Dad, I— _we_ , love spending time with you," Rosalie replied.

Peter smiled and nodded. "I know, hon. I love spending time with you, too. And when that little one, my first grandbaby, makes his appearance, I'll love spending time with him, too, when you bring him over."

Puzzled, Rosalie frowned. "Bring him over? Dad, we live with you."

Charlie and Peter shared a long look filled with pensive, almost nervous, energy. Then they turned to their girls and motioned for them to break into their eggs.

They wasted no time cracking them in half, identical expressions of bewilderment on their faces as they each removed a key from the chocolate wreckage.

"You live with us now," Charlie said gruffly. "But you won't for much longer. We know we hog you too much, but we also know we've got to quit being so stubborn and let you get on with your lives. We didn't get you back just to keep you locked up here forever."

As Bella and Rosalie tried to make sense of what they were hearing, Peter handed Emmett and Edward a white, folded card each.

Bella leaned over to peer inside once Edward had opened theirs; a picture of what appeared to be a newly built house stared back at them.

"Happy Easter, girls and guys. We wanted this to be a birthday thing," Peter waved his hands toward the cards. "But they weren't quite done in time."

Flabbergasted, Edward set the card down on the table and sat back. "Pete, Chuck…" he trailed off. "You can't…this isn't…you've had me and Em working mental hours for the past four months on our own present?"

Smirking, Charlie and Peter gave each other a high-five for a job well done. It hadn't been easy, keeping their surprise to themselves. "Sure did, son. Can't believe you didn't clock on when we were asking so many questions."

Suddenly, a lot of things made sense.

Edward and Emmett's eyes registered their enlightenment as they started at each other.

"All the times you asked about colours to paint the rooms and what kind of flooring we thought would be best…" Emmett muttered. "We were picking our own paint and floors."

The two older men grinned. "You sure were. Bells, Edward, yours is number thirteen."

"Rose, Em, yours is next door. You'll be number eleven," Peter added.

Bella stared down at the key in her hand, unable to do anything but wonder _what the hell is happening?_

 **~ oOo ~**

Later, once almost everyone had gone home, Bella and Edward sat down with Charlie, Rosalie, Emmett, and Peter. The dogs were fast asleep after their day of running around with the children; Sammy on his back with his legs akimbo, Faith curled in a ball beside Peter's feet.

Charlie and Peter both looked as though they'd removed a weight from their shoulders; the beers they'd both consumed at dinner helped relax their grins.

With their fingers twined between them on the sofa, Bella and Rosalie sighed.

"Dad, Uncle Pete," Bella began.

"This is such a huge gift…" Rosalie trailed off. "You can't just _give_ someone a house."

"Why? We own the land. We negotiated it when we took on the job. We knew going into it that we wanted to do this for you, so we accounted for it when we worked out our quote for the project." Charlie sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he gazed at his daughter and future son-in-law in turn. "Bells, you and Edward…your family is growing. We're already too cramped here as it is. Mars and Beesy need their own rooms, and there's definitely not enough space in your room for the baby and all the stuff he needs."

Bella pictured her bedroom upstairs, and the way there were boxes of unopened baby stuff stacked up around the furniture; she and Edward hadn't even been able to set up the crib yet and they only had a month to go. Technically, the baby could come any day now and Charlie was right – there really wasn't enough space for him or the things he'd need.

"As for you two, almost three," Peter winked, nodding toward his unborn grandson. "You need your space, too. Chuck and I, we know we've been greedy with your time. We know you all need your own homes. I guess this way, we get to just make sure those homes aren't gonna be too far away."

While Bella, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie mulled over their words, Charlie pulled up Google Maps on his laptop to point out the area where their new homes sat. Emmett and Edward had obviously already seen it, as they'd worked on the houses themselves, but Bella and Rosalie were relieved to see that the houses were only a five minute drive away from their dads; the two housing estates were also connected by the Cuckoo Trail, a cycle and pedestrian friendly path that joined the two and continued on further through fields and small towns.

"We could walk back and forth," Bella surmised, smiling wryly. "It's almost close enough for us to just shout to you from the window."

Charlie chuckled, rubbing his moustache. "It was a deciding factor, I'll admit. We wanted you to have your own space, but we didn't want that space to be too far away from us. I've gotten spoilt having you around all the time, baby girl."

Bella blew out a long breath. Clearly, arguing with him and Peter was a lost cause. And they _were_ right – about the lack of space and the fact that they needed to spread out before they started to really get on each other's nerves.

That said…

"It's a really big gift…"

"We love you both – you _all_ – an awful lot, baby girl. Besides, this is an investment for us, too."

And so, that was that.

Charlie and Peter were firm with their refusal to do anything but continue with their plan to give the two houses to Bella and Edward, and Emmett and Rosalie. The only thing they did agree to which hadn't been in their original plan, was that they would let the respective couples put money into the properties until they were half owners of the houses. Bella and Rosalie were staunch with their belief that they at least had to contribute toward their homes, and their fathers could see their determination wouldn't be squashed.

When they crawled into bed a short while later, Bella and Edward stared at each other in the muted light, the smiles on their faces wide but slightly nervous.

"Are we doing this? Are we moving out?" Bella chewed her lip, rubbing the skin over her unborn son's protruding foot.

Edward sighed and reached up to stroke his fiancée's cheek, resting his thumb over her full lower lip. "I guess so, _mi amore_."

"Are you happy?"

Edward thought back to all the times they'd bickered over their need for more space, for a place of their own. His arguments were no less valid then than they were now, but he felt the timing was better. They had the closure of visiting the ranch and getting an apology from Remi Wilson, and the babies were due within a matter of weeks. If they were going to move out any time, now was perfect.

"I am," he finally whispered. "Are you?"

"I'm nervous, but I'm happy, too. Bodhi and Marley will get their own rooms, this little guy will have his own room, too, when he's big enough, and we'll still be close enough to dad to spend lots of time with him." Her eyes twinkled. "Plus, we'll have the best neighbours."

Edward chuckled ruefully, shuffling closer to Bella as she heaved herself over onto her other side and wriggled back against his chest. "We really will."

As she drifted off to sleep, Bella's mind was filled with a mishmash of memories from her childhood; memories of her parents with Peter and Charlotte, and of her and Archie with Rosalie, Pippa, and Heidi. They were the best of friends as well as neighbours, which was the same as what she and Edward would have with Emmett and Rosalie. Their unborn sons would grow up exactly the same way they had, living right next door to their best friends.

But, better than that, she and Edward would finally have their own home. Somewhere they could grow and learn to live as an independent couple with their little family, but still be close enough to those they loved.

"Edward?" She hummed a few minutes later.

"Hmmm?"

Smiling, she sighed and hugged his arm around her chest. "I love you. This was the best Easter, ever. And not just because of all the chocolate."

Edward snickered sleepily and pressed a kiss to her neck. " _Ti amo_ , _mi amore_. And you can have more chocolate tomorrow, it's not just a one-day thing, you know. You've still got your Lindt egg, too."

"Oh…I forgot about that."

The last thought dancing through Bella's mind as she finally succumbed to sleep was that, in so very many ways, the best was definitely yet to come.

* * *

 **So, there you have it. Carlisle and Esme have their own brood of little bunnies now. This was something I've been wanting to write in for them for a looong time. We'll get to see more of them navigating this new journey when regular chapters resume.**

 **Speaking of...the next chapter is with** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding **, so I'll post as soon as they're all done with it.**

 **Charlie and Peter's surprise is something you guys have mentioned to me quite a lot, and something they're all ready for, I think. I'm excited to write this next chapter of their lives together. I hope you're excited to read it!**

 **Thank you all for your love and reviews. I've had a mental week at work - retail during any sort of bank holiday is always hell - so I haven't had a chance to do much of anything, but please know I love each and every one of you for reading and reviewing. You're all beautiful.**

 **Much love, everybody. Don't eat too much chocolate and put yourself into a cocoa coma. I may have some experience with that, and it ain't pretty ;)**

 **xoxo**


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Hey there! This is a day late, I'm sorry! If it helps  
soften the blow, I've got an outtake ready to post tomorrow  
to make it up to you, and it's a good'un ;) I think you'll like  
it, anyway. Or, I HOPE you do.**

 **Huge hugs and thanks to** annarharding **and** SunflowerFran  
 **for working their socks off to get these chapters ready  
** **for you! Also, big thank you to all of you for reading and  
** **reviewing! I try to get to as many as possible, but I'm  
** **doing a tonne of overtime at the moment and...  
blah, you're not interested in me LOL.**

 **I'll let you get on with the story, but please just know  
that I'm grateful for each and every one of you.**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

"Mamma?"

"Yeah, baby?"

Marley bit her lip. "I, um, I'm sorry for wetting the bed."

Tears gathered in Bella's eyes as she reached out and pulled Marley as close as possible, hugging her head to her chest. "Oh, baby...you don't have to apologise for anything, sweetheart."

 _This is all my fault, not yours._

Bella had never felt so selfish, so ashamed, as she did this morning. Between nightmares, Marley had slept fitfully, finally waking Edward and Bella at quarter past five sobbing because she'd wet the bed.

" _Oh, little sweet, it's okay. You need to breathe,_ bellissima angioletta _." Edward smoothed his beautiful angel's hair and slid from the bed, lifting Marley out, too. "Take a deep breath for Daddy, please."_

 _Marley sucked in a shaky breath, squirming out of his hold to stand on the floor. "I'm all gross, don't touch me, Daddy," she cried, covering her face with her hands._

 _The anguish on Edward's face broke Bella's heart just as much as the shaking, silhouetted form of their daughter. She heaved herself out of bed and quickly removed the sheets, thankful for the plastic-backed sheets she'd thought to bring in case Bodhi snuck into their bed; his toilet training was pretty much perfect, but in new places, he occasionally struggled overnight._

 _Bella had never imagined it would be Marley needing the protection._

 _With the sheets tossed in the corner to worry about in the morning, Bella waddled to her daughter and fiancé. Cupping Marley's cheeks, she gently pulled her daughter's hands down and leaned in to kiss her forehead._

" _Do you want to hop in the shower, baby?"_

 _Nodding wordlessly, Marley let Bella lead her to the attached bathroom. She sucked in shaky breaths but didn't say a thing as she quickly shed her pyjamas and climbed in once Bella started the water. Edward poked his arm in just to give Bella some spare clothes for Marley to wear once she was done, then quietly closed the door._

 _With the baby pressing on her bladder, Bella took the opportunity to relieve herself before flushing and sitting back on the closed toilet lid. She swallowed her guilt and forced calm into her voice. "Marley, sweetheart, I think we need to talk about your nightmare."_

 _Marley sighed on the other side of the shower curtain before sticking her arm out. Bella handed her a fluffy towel, offering her a small, encouraging smile when she emerged wrapped from her armpits to her ankles. "I…I don't want to."_

" _I know you don't, baby, but listen…" she beckoned Marley over, not caring in the slightest that her leggings were getting damp when her daughter perched on her knee and rested her wet curls against her shoulder. "Sometimes, I have nightmares."_

 _Marley's head popped up, her eyes wide. "You do?"_

" _Mmhm. And do you know what makes me feel better, even though sometimes I'm scared? Daddy. Daddy helps me talk about them, and that makes them not so scary. You've got to remember, baby girl, that your nightmares…" Bella reached up, tapping Marley's temple lightly. "They're all up here, in your head. They aren't real. Nothing in there can hurt you, I promise."_

 _Marley rested her head back on Bella's shoulder, falling silent for a few moments._

" _I keep dreaming about the…the man who stole you and Auntie Rose."_

 _Bella screwed her eyes shut against an onslaught of tears. That was exactly what she'd been afraid of. "Baby girl, you know he's—"_

" _He's dead. I know." The matter-of-fact tone did nothing to assuage Bella's pain. "That's why I get mad at myself, 'cause I know he's not going to come back and get us. I know I told Irina and you and Daddy that I don't remember living here, but I do. I lied. I'm sorry, Mamma. I know I'm not supposed to lie, but I didn't want to upset you."_

Breaking my heart, baby girl.

" _I think…we were there again today, weren't we? But the house burned down when Uncle Emmett sent us away."_

" _That's right, we were, and it did. The house is gone, Marley. And the man…the man responsible for all of that, he's gone, too. You don't ever have to be scared about him or the house again. Do you hear me?"_

 _Pulling back, Bella cupped Marley's cheeks and stared into her eyes –_ her _eyes in the face of her baby girl. "Promise me that you understand that."_

 _Marley wore a small half-smile as she reached up to thumb away the tears on Bella's cheeks. "I promise, Mamma."_

" _Thank you," she sighed, resting their foreheads together. "I love you, baby girl. You'll always be my baby, do you know that?"_

 _Giggling quietly, Marley nodded. "I know, Mamma. You tell me_ all _the time."_

" _Good."_

 _Bella brushed out Marley's long hair and let her dry off and get redressed before they ventured back into the bedroom. Edward was sitting on the side of the bed nearest the door, his head in his hands and the pain-filled look in his eyes when he raised them to his fiancée and daughter proof that he'd heard every word._

 _They climbed back into bed that Edward had re-made, snuggling together and whispering their 'I love yous' just before Bodhi found his way into the room, wriggling himself up between Marley and Edward._

"Where's Daddy?" Marley asked, pulling Bella back to the present.

"He took Bodhi to get breakfast, I think."

Marley nodded, snuggling in as close as her unborn baby brother would allow. She reached a hand down and pressed it against her mamma's bump, giggling softly when the baby kicked against it.

A little while later, Marley's stomach rumbled loudly enough that she and Bella heard it, so they dragged themselves out of bed and headed downstairs to join the other early risers. Riley, Edward, Charlie, and Bodhi were all sitting at the table sipping drinks – coffees for the adults, and a chocolate milkshake for the little boy.

"Can I have a milkshake, please, Daddy?" Marley asked sweetly rounding the table to rest her chin on Edward's shoulder. He offered her a happy smile and tilted his head to kiss her cheek before standing.

"Of course, little sweet. Chocolate or strawberry?"

Tapping her lip as she stole his seat, she finally decided, "Chocolate, please."

"Coming up." Edward's eyes found Bella as Bodhi distracted Marley. "Are you okay?" he mouthed.

She simply nodded, taking the last remaining seat between Riley and Charlie. They were both staring at her with varying degrees of worry, but she waved them off and plastered a smile on her face.

 **~ oOo ~**

The day passed slowly.

Bella was exhausted from the stress and emotion of the previous day coupled with the sleepless night and worry about Marley. The baby seemed to spend the entire day alternating between kicking her hard in the ribs and using her bladder as a trampoline. Pregnancy was hard. Parenting was harder. And trying to convince everyone around her that she was fine proved impossible.

By the time the children were tucked into their beds, she'd fended off pretty much every member of her family along with their concerned eyes and 'are you okays?'

It wasn't that she didn't appreciate them caring about her, but Bella was so busy beating herself up for dragging Marley along yesterday that she couldn't bear the thought of her family joining in.

After tucking Bodhi into bed and shooting a sleeping Marley a guilty last look, Bella slipped quietly from the room and headed down the hall. She could hear the rest of the group downstairs, but she didn't feel like joining them.

Tomorrow they would fly to Washington to meet Remi Wilson, but all Bella could think about was her traumatised daughter down the hall.

 _I made a mistake._

Leaving her and Bodhi behind to go to the ranch wasn't something Bella could have done. She'd always known that. Way back when they initially planned this trip, Edward and Bella had discussed what they'd do with the children and taking them had seemed like the only option. The thought of leaving them, even under the watchful eye of an FBI guard like Riley suggested, put a lump in Bella's stomach and sent her heartrate rocketing. Being in Montana…it brought back too many memories.

Too many fears.

But while she'd been thinking about herself, thinking about how she'd feel leaving her babies behind, Bella hadn't really let herself consider how it would affect Marley.

As she stared up at the ceiling, Bella listened for any kind of sounds coming from down the hall, but thankfully didn't hear anything. She prayed Marley would have a restful night free of nightmares. For all their sakes.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **The following day…**_

Upon landing at SeaTac, Riley quickly led the group through security to the waiting minivan outside the airport. Almost everyone was ready to kick back and relax at their hotel – everyone except Bella, Rosalie, Riley, Edward, and Emmett. The five of them would be heading to the hotel with the rest of their family before making their way to the hospice housing Remi Wilson. It was noon here in Washington, so they were going to leave the children with the other adults and try to be as quick as possible at getting the answers they needed.

The drive from the airport to the hotel was mercifully short, especially with lead foot of the FBI agent on the accelerator. It felt like only minutes had passed between disembarking the plane and kissing the children 'goodbye' as Bella let Edward lead her out of the suite toward the elevator; Rosalie, Emmett, and Riley right behind them.

Marley and Bodhi's sad faces lingered in her mind as she watched Esme herd them back inside, the elevator doors closing just as Marley dolefully called out, "Bye, Mamma!"

"I know it's hard, but it's the right thing," Rosalie said gently, twining their fingers to give Bella's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I know," Bella sighed. "I know it is, but I just…dammit, I hate leaving them. Especially Marley, right now."

Emmett leaned against the wall as they descended. "Did she sleep better last night?"

Bella tipped her head side-to-side in a non-committal gesture. "Sort of. She slept until about…midnight? One?"

Edward mumbled, "One."

"She slept until about one before coming into bed with us. Bodhi followed a couple of hours later. I guess the most important part is that she didn't have another nightmare, she said she just wanted to be near us."

"That's understandable," Riley piped up quietly. "She's a tough little cookie, just like her mom, but she's still a baby under all that bravery."

Nobody said anything else as they piled out of the elevator and climbed into the car once the valet had tossed the keys to Riley; Bella's prerequisite for leaving the children was that all the available agents be assigned to the suite to keep them safe. Riley had been only too happy to acquiesce, so there were currently six FBI agents stationed in various spots in and around the penthouse suite containing Carlisle, Esme, Charlie, Peter, Archie, Carl-Roman, Chase, Marley, Bodhi, and Paul.

Washington was rainy. Rainy, green, and leafy.

As they sped toward the hospice, Bella's eyes took in the greenery blurring past the window. Edward held her hand; his thumb swept gently over her knuckles, reminding her of his steady, comforting presence at her side. Rosalie and Emmett talked quietly behind them, Riley silent and stony-faced in the rear-view mirror when Bella chanced a quick glance at him as they turned off the main road onto a twisty, winding track through the woods.

Soon, they passed the 'Holywell Hospice' sign, and then they were there. The building looked…well, for lack of a better word, decrepit. Not in good shape at all.

Bella felt more than a little out of place as Riley directed them to the office, their inexpensive outfits still a stark opposite to the threadbare uniforms worn by the few members of staff milling around.

The lady behind the desk greeted them with a warm but tired smile.

"Hello there, I'm Katherine. Are you here to visit a patient today?"

"Hello, Katherine. I'm Riley Lawrence, and these are my friends. We're here to see Remi Wilson, please." He shot Bella and Rosalie an odd half-smile before returning his attention to Katherine. "Expect a couple more visitors in a little while."

Any other day, Bella would have smiled at Riley laying his charm on thick to get what he wanted – but not today. Nerves churned in her stomach, her baby unusually calm as he gave her a gentle kick then settled down.

 _I wonder who the other visitors are…_

A look of surprise flickered briefly over Katherine's face before she got up from behind the desk, had them sign into the visitor's book and collect their badges, then walked around to show them the way.

"We weren't expecting anyone today. Are you a relative of Mr. Wilson's?" Katherine asked as they followed her down a winding hall with faded grey carpet and off-white walls. It was depressing.

"Distant relatives," Riley murmured, a frown tugging his down brows when they reached a door at the end of the hall. 'Remi Wilson' was written on a card taped to it. "Thank you, Katherine. We've got it from here. Please show the other guests to us when they arrive."

Katherine offered him a nod and a 'will do' before heading back the way they'd come. She'd barely reached the end of the corridor before she stopped and turned back, pointing their way. When she spoke, she wasn't speaking to them, but to the 'friends' Riley had promised would be arriving shortly. They were still out of sight as she smiled brightly and told them, "Oh! Your friends are just ahead of you. You weren't far behind them."

Bella's eyes widened when she spotted the two other 'friends' as they rounded the corner and passed Katherine, wearing sheepish expressions. "Dad? Uncle Pete?"

"What are you doing here?" Rosalie cried, just as shocked as Bella to see her dad and uncle there.

"Did you really think we'd stay back at the hotel and let you do this without us?" Charlie grumbled as he and Peter joined the group outside Wilson's door. He cocked an eyebrow at Riley. "You knew, didn't you?"

Riley chuckled dryly, shaking his head. "Of course. You weren't particularly subtle when you called down to ask for a cab at the exact same time we were leaving."

Charlie's ears flamed as Peter rubbed the back of his neck, both men looking decidedly embarrassed. Then their expressions changed, their eyes finding the name on the door.

"Dad, Uncle Chuck…" Rosalie sighed. "There's a reason we wanted you to stay back."

"I know, I know, sweetheart," Peter pulled his daughter into a hug, kissing her forehead before pulling back to cradle her face. "We'll keep our calm, and we'll wait outside while you go in at first, okay? But after that, we want to have a word."

Bella immediately looked to Riley, while her dad and Peter were occupied by Rosalie's answer; he shot her a wink and an almost imperceptible nod, agreeing to be in there with Charlie and Peter when they 'had a word.' Emotions were already running impossibly high; the last thing anybody needed was Charlie and Peter going off half-cocked without any supervision.

"All right," Rosalie huffed, reaching out for Bella's hand. She gave it willingly, the two women looking to their other halves for comfort before facing Riley.

"We're ready," they told him in unison.

He sucked in a deep breath and nodded, opening the door and stepping inside.

Even though they'd seen a picture of him, Remi Wilson wasn't at all what Bella and Rosalie expected, and nothing like they remembered. He looked even frailer than he had in the Polaroid they'd received; his eyes were large and sunken in his head, his skin and the whites of his eyes yellowed. The veins in his thin arms were bright blue and visible through his paper-thin skin, and the smell of stale air and sickness hung heavy in the room as they stepped through the threshold.

His head turned almost in slow motion, recognition immediately lighting his dull gaze.

"Well, I'll be…you came."

Bella flinched, Rosalie reflexively squeezing their twined fingers together.

 _His voice…_

It was whisper-soft, croaky, but it was the same voice from their memories.

"Remi Wilson?" Riley confirmed, remaining between him and Bella and Rosalie. They lingered a safe distance away from the door, which Riley had closed behind them.

The man on the bed nodded weakly before a coughing fit wracked his frame. Without thinking, Bella dropped Rosalie's hand and stepped forward, taking the paper cup from the table and filling it with a mouthful of water from the pitcher beside it.

Remi took it with a trembling hand. Once he'd taken a few small sips and his coughing fit had subsided, he blinked at her with clear surprise and gratitude. "Thank you. Scarlett Swan, isn't it?"

"Bella," she corrected him automatically. "I go by 'Bella' now."

Remi nodded, looking around her. "And you must be Rosalie. The Hale girl. Neither of you have changed."

Neither woman felt it necessary to respond. They simply stared at him, this sick man whose actions had helped sentence them to over a decade of misery and torture.

"I didn't know if you'd received my letter," he eventually rasped.

"I wanted to talk to you about that, actually." Remi's eyes found Riley. "How did you find them? And how did you have the letter delivered?"

"Finding you wasn't hard at all. None of you are hiding," Remi looked more than a little confused about this. "I expected it to be harder. Once I had an address, I got in touch with an old business acquaintance and had him confirm it. He emailed to say he'd delivered the letter, and that was that. I just had to wait and see if you'd come. Then, I got a call from my son to say that some old friends were looking for me, and I knew it had to be you." His thin, blue-tinted lips twisted into a tiny, wry smile. "I don't have a lot of friends left, old or otherwise."

Bella and Rosalie shared the same thought – they weren't surprised. When you'd lived a life as shady as Remi Wilson's and made the poor decisions he had, it was hardly shocking to hear you hadn't made or kept many friends.

"Why?" Rosalie blurted out. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she added, "Why now?"

Remi looked down at himself – at his rail-thin legs under a worn blanket, his almost see-through arms, and the yellow-grey pallor of his skin. "I ain't got long left in this world, and I couldn't leave without getting this chance. I didn't know for sure that you'd come, of course, but it was worth a try."

Bella's heart hammered away in her chest. She glanced over at Edward, noting the murderous glint in his eyes; it mirrored the look in Emmett's as he stared at the old man.

"We didn't come for you," she finally murmured, returning her attention to Remi. "We came for ourselves."

Remi nodded meekly, his gaze dancing between the stern-faced FBI agent, the two men shooting him looks that could kill, and the petite young women he'd wronged so long ago. Then they dipped lower, bouncing between their noticeable baby bumps. Their hands immediately moved to their midsections in futile attempts to hide their precious boys.

Guilt was written all over his face. "You're happy now? Safe?"

"Yes, no thanks to you," Emmett growled.

"I deserve your anger," Remi conceded. "I _anticipated_ it, even. For you to be so calm is more than I had any right to expect. I…" he trailed off, looking into space for a few long moments. "I want to apologise for my hand in everything that happened to you."

The bolt of emotion that speared Bella in the chest was staggering. She released a long gust of breath, thankful for Edward when he stepped up behind her and let her rest her weight against his chest.

"I made a lot of bad choices and fell in with the wrong sort of people."

They all knew he was talking about Smith. He didn't need to say his name.

"When we came for you that day, I wasn't thinking about you, or your families. He'd promised me a job and an end to all the debts I'd gotten myself into over here. But he left me behind, and then he sent someone to kill me a week later. To this day, I don't know how I managed to talk the guy out of it." Remi shrugged, "Drugs robbed me of most of my memories from those days."

He found Bella and Rosalie again; the latter was crying into Emmett's chest while Bella stared blankly back at him.

"I always remembered you two, though. No matter how hard I tried, I could never forget. Of all the things I've done in my life, that day was by far the worst. I know it don't change anything, but I'm truly sorry."

"You're right, it doesn't change anything," Bella admitted shakily. "But we've deserved an apology from you for fifteen years."

The racing of her heart was making Bella feel dizzy, and she could see Rosalie was well on her way to falling apart. They'd gotten what they came for – a long overdue apology. She already knew Riley wanted to ask Remi a few questions, but they didn't need to be there for that.

"I think we're done," she told Riley, watching Emmett lead Rosalie from the room without looking back. Remi watched them go, too, then met Bella's gaze as she stepped away from Edward and stood beside his bed. Her hand trembled, but she reached out and rested it over Remi's, watching a tear tumble over his bony cheek. He was cold to the touch.

"You always were the protector of the two of you. You woke up briefly in the van on the way to the airport…do you remember?"

Shocked, Bella simply shook her head and frowned. "No…I thought I woke up for the first time when we were at the…the ranch."

Remi rested his head back against the pillow. "We must have been almost there. We stopped just outside of the airfield so Smith could speak to his contact, and I had to get in the back to grab the paperwork. You weren't really _awake_ , per se, but you wouldn't let me anywhere near your friend. You got right in my way and wouldn't move. I had to get you to pass me the bag, because it was behind you two."

It bothered Bella that she didn't remember, but she didn't need anything else to dwell on right now. With her own tumultuous emotions and Marley, Bella couldn't deal with anything else on top. She shelved it, giving Remi's hand a quick squeeze.

"Thank you for telling me that." The words 'take care' were on the tip of her tongue, but Bella didn't think they were worth saying, not with how frail Remi looked. She wouldn't like to guess his age, but his haggard appearance made him look decidedly elderly. "Bye, Mr. Wilson."

He blinked back tears and nodded. "Goodbye, Sc— _Bella_. Be happy."

As Bella stepped out of the room into her father's waiting arms, Edward right behind her, she released a long, body-shaking sigh and let the tears that had been threatening since they arrived, spill.

"Bella, sweetheart? Are you okay?" Charlie gushed worriedly, stroking a hand over her hair and down her back.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." Bella sniffled, hugging her dad tighter. "It's over. It's all done."

Bella's words were punctuated by the click of the door closing behind her. Riley could have Remi now, and Bella would just hope he could drag more information from the frail man before it was too late.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **Three weeks later…Monday, March 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **, 2020**_

"Mamma, Mamma, Mamma! Look wh-what I found!"

Bella couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh at her sweet boy's innocent excitement. "Baby, I don't think Auntie Rose will want you showing that off." She gently took it from her son's hands, directed him toward the paddling pool where his sister and cousins were playing, then waddled inside where she bumped into Emmett.

"Hey, little Bell. Enjoying your birthday shindig?"

"I am, but Rose won't be if she realises Bodhi just found _this_ amongst the presents…"

Emmett guffawed when Bella handed over the pink box emblazoned with a picture of candy panties. "They're a joke! There's nothing in here, I swear!"

He opened the box and shook it upside-down just to prove it; Bella laughed and shook her head, socking him gently in the arm.

"Well, hide it somewhere better next time. I don't want my three-year-old asking for underwear he can eat, thank you very much."

With _that_ out of the way, Bella returned to the garden. It was unseasonably warm on this, her twenty-fifth birthday – also Rose's twenty-fifth, and Marley's ninth.

Marley's school had coincidentally called a teacher training day, which meant they'd left their birthday celebrations until today rather than celebrating early at the weekend.

Everyone had gathered in the Swan and Hale homes to eat the feast prepared by Bella, Rosalie, and Esme.

As usual, the men, women, and children had gradually separated into their groups. The men were at one end of the garden near the food and beers, while the women were gathered around the tables at the other end next to the paddling pool; they could easily supervise the children that way. The fence between Jasper and Alice's house and Charlie's had finally been pulled down, so the large group had more than enough room to spread out.

"You doin' okay, sis?"

Bella smiled up at her brother as he looped an arm around her. "I'm good. You?"

"Loving life." His eyes roamed across the garden to Poppy. She had Chase on one knee and Callum on the other, both boys cackling as she alternated between them, blowing raspberries on their rosy cheeks. "I, uh, I bought a ring."

"You did?" Bella gasped. "About damn time! When are you going to do it?"

Archie chuckled, his ears tinting red as he shot Poppy a wink when she looked over at them with obvious curiosity. "I've booked a table at her favourite restaurant in Brighton."

"Oh…" Bella mouthed. "So, next week when we have the boys? I'm excited for you." She nodded to herself. "It's about time we had another wedding."

Archie gave her a soft squeeze. "What about yours? Even if Poppy says 'yes,' you guys have still been engaged longer. What's going on with your wedding?"

Stroking the spot her son was kicking, Bella let her gaze find Edward. He was laughing at the story Charlie was telling, Marley content on his lap with some paper and pencils. Bella could see her scribbling away. She'd been quiet for the first few days after visiting the ranch, but being home had done her a world of good; Marley was back to her cheeky, bright-as-a-button self. School, and a few extra sessions with Irina had settled her down, and she'd been sleeping through the night since the end of their first week back at home.

To say Bella and Edward were relieved would be a massive understatement.

"We've decided to wait until this little guy is here and old enough to fly." Bella tilted her head up to meet Archie's grin, both saying 'Italy' in unison.

"It's a special place for us, and we can have our honeymoon there, too."

Unlike Rosalie and Emmett's big hotel wedding, Bella and Edward were going for a more intimate, relaxed feel. They were inviting close friends and family only and would be married on the grounds Edward owned. Their plans were loose right now because they couldn't know for sure when their baby boy would arrive, but they already had arrangements to head out to Italy for the summer anyway, so getting married while they were there just made sense.

 **~ oOo ~**

" _Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.  
Happy birthday, Bella-Rosalie-and Marley.  
Happy birthday to you."_

Reaching out her left hand to hold Rosalie's, and her right hand to hold Marley's, Bella smiled at her family over her cake. They were all waiting patiently for them to blow out their candles.

Carlisle and Esme were beaming, their smiles a million miles wide. After all, they'd gotten the best gift of the day – a phone call to say they'd been matched with a sibling group in desperate need of a home together, rather than separated. They didn't know any more than that for now, but they didn't care. They were finally getting the children they'd longed for.

Charlie and Peter were side-by-side, grinning and looking happier than ever, with Chloe in her soon-to-be grandfather's arms. Callum, her little brother, dozed against Archie's shoulder while Chase held Poppy's hand.

Emmett had Bodhi on his shoulders and Carl-Roman at his side. Next to them were Jasper, Alice, Clarke, and Dave, followed by Bella's Uncle Eleazer, Aunt Carmen, and her cousins with their respective others and children.

Alyssa and her son – Marley's school friend – Riley were smiling back at her, as were Rosalie's sisters Heidi and Pippa – they'd both brought their other halves, Harvey and Shane respectively.

Last but certainly not least was the guest of honour. Riley had flown in as a special surprise, waltzing into the house like a king just as Bella, Rosalie, and the children were finishing their pancakes.

" _Uncle Riley!" Marley and Bodhi scrambled down from their stools at the breakfast bar, tearing across the room to slam into him._

 _He chuckled, ruffling Bodhi's hair and kissing a blushing Marley's hand. "Hey, you two. Do I get a real hug?"_

 _By the time Riley had gotten his hugs from Marley and Bodhi, Bella and Rosalie had gotten over the shock of seeing his larger than life form in the doorway._

" _What are you doing here?" Rosalie asked, waddling over to him._

 _He offered her a wolfish grin. "Well, I couldn't miss my three favourite girls' birthday, could I? I called Charlie, and he told me you weren't celebrating until today, so I caught the late-night flight over."_

 _Heaving herself out of her seat at the table, Bella joined the huddle and pulled Riley in for a hug around her large bump. "Oh, don't even try to lie. We know your secret now. You flew over in your cushy jet and slept all the way here, didn't you? You don't look anywhere near tired enough to have just flown internationally on a commercial flight."_

 _His grey eyes flashed with humour as he smirked and up his hands. "All right, you caught me. I had a perfectly comfortable flight. But, that does mean I didn't have any luggage restrictions…"_

 _Needless to say, Marley and Bodhi were more than pleased with the lack of restrictions when Riley hauled in two enormous suitcases jam-packed with toys for each of them; there were four more in the car for Carl-Roman, Chase, Chloe, and Callum, he admitted._

"On the count of three?" Rosalie whispered.

"On the count of three."

Bella, Rosalie, and Marley counted to three, blowing out their candles at the same time.

As the small puff of smoke from the cakes rose into the balmy warm evening air, Bella closed her eyes and basked in the love and joy surrounding her.

Nothing could beat this feeling of safety, warmth, and home.

* * *

 **So, there we have it. The outtake I've teased in my Facebook group -** CiaraShayee's Subconscious ( **please feel free to come join me!** ) **will be up sometime tomorrow.**

xoxo


	17. Being Paul - an Outtake

**Hello again! No - your eyes do not deceive you.  
This is a second update in as many days - although  
this is an outtake. I posted a teaser pic for it on my Facebook  
page - CiaraShayee's Subconscious. If you haven't read chapter  
fourteen or you aren't sure, check back so you aren't missing anything.**

 **This is something that popped up randomly after writing the  
last chapter. **annaharding **and I were talking about Paul, and we  
thought this might be a fun way of getting into his head a little bit.**

 **So...here we go. Enjoy. And please feel free to join me over on Facebook  
to share your thoughts and catch teasers before I post them anywhere else.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _It's not easy growing up as the shy younger brother of  
a confident, outgoing jock. It's not easy watching said brother spiral  
out of control. And it's not easy being the one to hunt him down to  
save their parents from heartbreak; especially not when you end up  
on a ranch with pain and fear rooted in the ground and all rational thoughts  
fly out of the window. Overall, it's just not easy being Paul._

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Being Paul**

… _ **the hotel suite, Washington…**_

"Paul?"

Paul turned, dragging his eyes away from Bodhi playing on the floor by the windows. He was methodically building a tower out of some wooden bricks, singing away to himself; Paul couldn't make out the actual words, but Bodhi's voice alone was comforting.

Riley wore a stern expression. "Can I have a word?"

"Sure. Now? I'm watching Bodhi…"

As he spoke, one of Riley's agents appeared in the doorway; Paul sighed. Danielson was a firm favourite with all the children. He had a deep voice and was apparently second best at doing the voices when he read stories.

Second to Edward, of course. Paul felt like he had first place nailed on his forehead.

"Bodhi, I'm just heading out with Riley for a bit, okay?"

Bodhi offered him a quick smile before going back to his tower, so Paul left him under the watchful gaze of Agent Danielson and followed Riley next-door.

"Have a seat, I—"

The buzz of Riley's phone in his pocket put a temporary halt on their chat. Riley excused himself into the hall to take the call, leaving Paul to wonder what, exactly, the stern-faced agent wanted to talk to him about.

 _I wonder if it's about this 'Wilson' guy…_

Paul couldn't deny it; he was so very curious about this whole situation. He'd been all-but bullied – by Riley – into coming on this trip in the first place and had only really agreed because it meant more time with Bodhi. If he was honest with himself, he hadn't realised just what he was getting himself into. Watching the family close-up, as it were, for such extended periods of time had given him a new insight into the dynamics between everyone. They were a large, tight knit family unit. It hurt to see it. It hurt to know he'd never be worthy of being included in that family unit, not really. He'd messed up way back when he first knew Bella, and he'd messed up again now by letting his father's patriarchal, ancient agenda take over and stop him from 'fessing up when he had the chance. It was too late now, he knew that. And it killed him to look at Bodhi and know Bella would never let him carry on spending time with him when she knew the truth.

Paul had made the most of Bella, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Riley, Charlie, and Peter being gone for a couple of hours. He'd played with Marley and Bodhi, teaching them how to draw comics. His favourite part of being an architect was getting to draw.

 _It was drawing that brought us together in the first place._

Without his permission, Paul's mind wandered back.

Back to those odd days when he'd been searching high and low for his brother, chasing leads without thinking about where he might end up.

 **~ oOo ~**

… _ **December, 2015…**_

 _ **The Ranch**_

 _Scraping his hair back into a messy knot at the back of his head, Paul eyed the wooden ranch house with narrowed eyes and pursed lips._

 _This doesn't look like the sort of place Marcus would hang out, he thought._

 _Shivering as a gust of wind whipped through, rattling his bones, Paul huffed and muttered "fuck it" as he traipsed toward the cracked door. The guys he'd ridden back with had promised him a job until 'the boss' returned, but couldn't guarantee he'd be able to stay after that. Honestly, Paul didn't expect to be there very long, but a job was a job, no matter how temporary. And it looked like his leads had_ _dried up, so he'd need somewhere to stop while he tried to figure out where Marcus had gone and what the hell he was up to._

 _Emmett and José, the guys he'd met at the bar back in Bozeman who'd driven him out here with them, were already at one of seven dining tables tucking into something that smelled delicious. The fire on the other side of the house was roaring, and there were smiles on the faces of the unfamiliar guys around the tables with Emmett and José._

" _Hey, new guy. Come sit."_

 _Paul dumped his rucksack by a heap of work boots, shut the door, and did as Emmett told him; he sat beside José, between him and a tall, skinny guy who offered a dirty hand and muttered "Luca."_

" _Hey, man. Paul."_

 _Emmett pointed to the remaining three guys. "Jameson, Brad, Levi. Guys, this is Paul. He's gonna be giving us a hand 'til the boss gets back."_

 _Paul was welcomed by the group and settled down to eat when they told him he'd be useless without any meat on him. The dishes of lasagne were still steaming, the smell of melting cheese too much for Paul to resist even if he'd wanted to._

 _He was just tucking in when movement from the kitchen doorway caught his eye._

" _Oh…"_

 _It was a woman. Well, sort of. She was obviously young. Maybe late teens, early twenties. Either way, she was obviously shocked to see him at the table._

" _Scarlett, this is our new guy. Paul's gonna be stayin' with us for a bit, til the boss gets back."_

 _Scarlett. Paul tested the name in his head, deciding it suited her just fine when a rosy flush stole across her cheeks._

" _Okay, that's…okay." She offered him a tiny half-smile before ducking back into the kitchen._

 **~ oOo ~**

 _He didn't see her again until the next morning, at breakfast. This time, she wasn't alone._

" _Oh, hey there, little one," he chuckled, eyeing the little girl clinging to Scarlett's hip. She buried her face in Scarlett's hair and clutched the worn, stuffed rabbit in her arms tighter_

" _She's shy," Scarlett whispered, stroking the little girl's back as she set a carafe of orange juice on the table._

" _I'm sorry," Paul said softly; the last thing he wanted was to upset anyone. As Scarlett turned back toward the kitchen, Paul cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry, Scarlett?"_

 _She paused, looking back over her shoulder._

 _She's pretty, Paul realised. "Uh, do you happen to have any paper and pencils around?"_

 _With a frown, Scarlett shook her head slowly. "I don't think so…José or Emmett might know better. Sometimes they bring things like that back from supply runs."_

" _Okay, thank you."_

 _Scarlett had an odd look on her face. She hesitated for a beat. "Do you draw?"_

" _Buildings, mostly. I like architecture."_

 _A faint smile curled the side of her mouth. "No boxy houses with suns in the corner of the page for you, then?"_

 _Paul chuckled; he couldn't help it. This girl…she was shy and beguiling all at once. "No, not for me."_

 _She disappeared back into the kitchen then, and soon, the rest of the guys joined Paul at the tables. By the time she popped her head back out to check who wanted coffees, José had promised to share some paper from the book he'd brought back from the autumn supply run last year. He only had a few pages left, but he was happy to share._

 _That evening, after a hard day's work out in the barn with Emmett and José, Paul settled on a couch downstairs beside the fire with a sheet of paper and a roughly sharpened pencil. He was drawing the rough outline of a random, non-existent building when he hard soft footsteps on the wooden floor._

 _It was Marley, the little girl he'd seen clinging to Scarlett throughout the day, with Scarlett close on her heels._

 _Paul smiled. "Hey, little'un, Scarlett."_

 _As they moved, he realised Rosalie was with them, too. He'd met her at breakfast when she helped Scarlett clear up the dishes._

" _Oh, and Rosalie. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"_

 _Scarlett nodded toward a worn blanket on the sofa beside him. "Marley can't sleep without her blankie, so…"_

" _Ah. Here you go." As he handed over the blanket, Paul saw Marley stretch on tiptoes to peer over the sofa at the pencil in his hand. "Do you want to draw, Marley?"_

 _She blinked her wide eyes nervously and looked to Scarlett for reassurance. Paul guessed she was around three, four maybe; she was absolutely tiny with precious features and the largest eyes he'd ever seen. And he'd never heard her make a sound._

 _Aren't kids usually noisy? He wasn't sure. He hadn't spent a lot of time around kids since he was one._

" _You can go ahead," Rosalie told her._

 _Marley moved and took a tentative seat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Paul slid the paper and pencil over to her, smiling in encouragement. She picked up the pencil and was just about to set it to the page when the rumble of an engine startled her. She spooked, flying up from the table and launching herself at Scarlett._

 _Paul watched with concerned eyes as Scarlett whispered to the little girl, then turned and walked upstairs without a look back. Rosalie offered him an apologetic half-smile before hurrying after them, leaving Paul more than a little bewildered._

 **~ oOo ~**

 _A few nights later, once the boss had excused the guys from work on account of the snowstorm, Paul was on his way to bed when he paused by the window._

 _A light was on out in the barn._

 _It flickered, drawing him out into the snow. He tugged his hood up over his head and quickly closed the door once he'd stepped inside the barn. It was draughty, but the light in the side room at the end of the aisle called to him._

 _Sitting on the worn loveseat in the room used for the horses' records, was Scarlett. She had a half empty bottle of whiskey in her hand and a pensive look on her face, then she smiled when she saw Paul in the doorway._

Paul tried to shake the memory from his head. He didn't like to think about it; that night…he'd behaved despicably. He didn't know just how badly he'd messed up until months later, when he saw the paper emblazoned with Scarlett - or Bella, as she went by now - and Rosalie's faces.

 _When he'd woken up in the barn in the early hours of the morning, freezing cold even with Scarlett's body close to his on the loveseat, he'd felt sick from the whiskey they'd consumed together. Paul had stumbled away after tucking her in with the two worn blankets he'd been able to find, heading back to bed in the main house to sleep off his hangover._

 _For the_ _next handful of days, Scarlett had avoided him._

 _By the fourth day, Paul had made his decision - he was going to leave the ranch and continue his search for his brother. Despite wanting to talk to Scarlett about what had happened, she clearly wasn't interested. He'd tried to speak to her the couple of times they'd been in the same room, but she always fobbed him off and escaped as quickly as possible. Even having only known her a week, Paul felt a connection with her. She was pretty and sweet when she let down those high walls around herself, and Paul found himself wanting to comfort her and learn more about her - except she wouldn't let him._

 _Their drunken tryst in the barn probably hadn't helped, so Paul was cutting his losses and moving on. Besides, nobody had mentioned Marcus in the week he'd been there, stealthily trying to ask questions about his brother. This obviously wasn't the ranch Marcus had referenced in the single letter he'd sent to their parents a couple of years back._

Riley's return to the room yanked Paul from his guilt-laced memories.

"Sorry about that. I've been waiting for that call."

Waving a non-committal hand, Paul shook his head. "Don't worry about it. What did you want to talk to me about?"

The blank look on Riley's face had Paul's stomach twisting. His gaze was steely as he took the armchair opposite Paul's, steepling his hands on his knees.

"I know you're aware of where we were yesterday," he began, his voice steady and giving nothing away. "Bella and Rosalie requested a visit out to the ranch while we were over here in the States, and I saw no reason to refuse them. I wanted _you_ here because I wondered if you'd remember anything from your time here, but also because I needed you to see what you're trying to break up."

Frowning, Paul sat up a bit straighter. "What...what do you mean?"

Riley's thick brows climbed his forehead. "Did you really think I wouldn't dig deeper into your motivation for seeking them out?"

A heavy silence blanketed the room. The muffled, faint sounds of the children cheering nextdoor made Paul wince; his heart rate increased, his palms suddenly clammy.

"I haven't told them," Riley added. "I went against every single thing telling me to rat you out and told them your intentions were good."

Paul didn't know what to say. He'd never been good at being caught out.

Not as a pre-teen, stealing his big brother's dirty magazines from under his bed.

And not now, as an adult, being caught plotting against a family who'd been nothing but good to him.

A long, heavy sigh pushed its way free, and Paul wilted a little in his chair.

"I never imagined I'd get attached," he finally admitted. "My father...he's a traditional man. Old-fashioned. When he found out about Bodhi, he insisted I make him my legal son, have him take my name, and pointed out that no Lucien has ever taken over the family inheritance without a family."

Riley's long fingers tapped a pattern on his knees. "He wants you and Bella to be together, with Beesy?"

Swallowing hard, Paul nodded. "I couldn't tell him about Edward. He'd have gotten involved and made everything a mess. Even _more_ of a mess than it already is." Raking a hand through his hair, Paul chanced a look at Riley's face; the agent was stony-faced as he stared him down.

"I didn't know what to do. I told him I had everything in hand to keep him out of it, but he's started questioning me about when he can meet Bodhi."

"Nothing's going to happen, and unless you 'fess up to Bella soon, your parents won't be meeting Bodhi, I'll make sure of that." Agitated, Riley got to his feet and moved to stare out of the floor-to-ceiling windows with his hands linked at the small of his back. His calm was unnerving. "You couldn't break them up, not in a million years."

Even without him clarifying, Paul knew Riley meant Bella and Edward.

"I know. I realised that a while ago. And to be honest, I don't _want_ to break them up."

Thinking back over the months since he'd met his son, Paul felt a pang in his chest. "Those two are as solid as it gets, and they're better for Bodhi than I could ever be. I'm not stupid; I've seen them together. That boy worships them both, but he tolerates me. I'm not naive enough to think I could ever get between them."

For the past few days, Paul had been considering his options. Now, as Riley turned to watch him, he made his decision. "When we get back from this trip, I'm going to see if Bella will let my mum, at least, meet Bodhi before I let them get on without me. They don't need me interfering for the rest of their lives. Soon, they'll have their new baby to worry about, and I'm just an interruption in what should have been a peaceful future together, away from all this drama."

Riley appraised him for what felt like a never-ending moment. Then, he nodded, seemingly happy with what he saw. "Good. That's good. It's the right decision."

A tap on the door called an end to the heavy discussion. Riley moved to squeeze Paul's shoulder once he'd stood up. "If it makes you feel better, you've been helpful in gathering evidence and watching the children during this trip. We're all grateful."

"It's the least I could do."

Riley nodded, and that was that.

Paul's decision was made, and he was suddenly sure Riley would make sure he didn't change his mind.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **A few weeks later…**_

Ever since he was a boy, Paul had been intimidated by his father - more so when he was called to his office, and had to stare across the heavy mahogany desk at Aro Lucien's stern face.

This had carried over into adulthood, although not to the same degree.

But as he sat in the leather chair opposite him one late March morning, he steeled himself and met his father's blank gaze.

"I'm bowing out of Bodhi's life. They don't need me interfering, Dad, and Bella is getting married. She's been with the guy for a long time, and they're happy together with their kids."

Aro's lips curled in a grimace. The words that left his lips weren't the ones Paul expected. "You realise this stops your inheritance from maturing? It's written into the clause that you'll be married with a family, or at least starting one, before you can access the money."

Nodding, Paul sighed. "It's not about the money, Dad. I refuse to break up a family, or even try to, over some money. I don't need it, anyway."

A long, pregnant pause followed his sincere words. He meant them. Aro was likely expecting him to back down and change his mind, but there was no way.

The shitty choices Paul had made in the past…this was his way of redeeming himself.

Finally nodding, just a dip of his chin, Aro pursed his lips. "Fine. The boy - have your mother meet him, if not both of us. She deserves that much before you break her heart."

 _Ouch._

"Of course."

Standing, Paul chose to ignore his father's barbed comment, knowing it was just frustration that he was losing this battle.

It was odd - Paul had made the decision to step back from the Cullens weeks ago, but it was now, as he left his silently seething father's office, that he felt the swirling mists of relief and _this is right_ surrounding him.

"You're doing the right thing," he whispered to himself, sending a quick text to Bella to wish a happy birthday to her, Marley, and Rosalie before he forgot.

Five minutes later, as he pulled up outside his house, he sat in his car and stared at the picture Archie Swan had just uploaded to Facebook - they were friends now, so they could tag each other in pictures of Bodhi. Since he'd flown back to the States for five days of business meetings before he needed to return to England for his cinema date with Bodhi, Paul had been tagged in numerous pictures of Bodhi getting up to mischief, often with various cousins or Marley on the periphery.

In this picture, Edward and Bella bookended Marley and Bodhi, the children smashing cake in each other's faces while their parents laughed at their antics. They looked happy.

No, they _were_ happy.

Bella was glowing, her enormous bump visible in the bottom of the picture. She only had a few weeks to go before she either popped or was induced.

Marley had chocolate icing all over her mouth and chin, her big blue-green eyes crinkled and smiling.

Beside her, with blue icing and red sponge cake all over his rosy cheeks and in his blond curls, was Bodhi. Paul smiled, running his thumb over Bodhi's Cheshire-cat grin.

Then there was the subject of Bodhi's amusement - Edward. He was smiling, too, and Paul could just make out his hands tickling Bodhi's sides.

As he got out of the car and loped up the steps to his townhouse, peaceful and quiet compared to the Cullens' noisy and crowded, he knew for sure he was making the right decision.


	18. Chapter Fifteen

**...No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is, in fact,** **  
** **a long,** _ **long**_ **overdue update. I'm not sure if it's** **  
** **knowing that we're almost at the end causing it,** **  
** **but writer's block has been a b**tch.**

 **Huge hugs and thank yous to** annaharding **for** **  
** **helping me through it. This chapter would still** **  
** **be half-finished and languishing in the dusty files within** **  
** **my laptop if it weren't for her, so send lots of love** **  
** **her way!**

 **Big thank you to** SunflowerFran **for wielding her red pen** **  
** **and helping tidy this up.**

 **But most of all, I want to thank you guys for being so** **  
** **patient with me and waiting for this chapter. A lot of you** **  
** **on Facebook will know that I'm starting the publishing process** **  
** **with** _ **Pinky Promises**_ **, and that's taking up a lot of valuable writing** **  
** **time. The next two chapters of this are done, so they'll be up soon,** **  
** **and then there'll be the epilogue.**

 **I also want to vehemently reiterate my promise of** **  
** **a Happily Ever After. This chapter will test your faith in** **  
** **me but just remember that I love this gang, okay?**

 **All right, enjoy.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to**

 **Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella_

 _is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally_

 _home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the_

 _ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy_

 _endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still_

 _go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't_

 _mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 _ **Three days after Easter Sunday…April 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2020**_

"Oh…" The tears were unstoppable.

Bella and Rosalie stood hand-in-hand with their respective partners, tears tumbling over their cheeks as they took in their new homes for the first time.

Number thirteen – Bella and Edward's home – had a pretty, sunny yellow door, while number eleven – Rosalie and Emmett's – had a red door. They were semi-detached and shared a wall with each other, each house boasting a driveway and a garage between itself and their neighbours. The front lawns were small and neat with flowerbeds under the windows. A short sandstone path cut through the grass to the doors, which stood side-by-side.

"They're basically the same inside. Did you want to just tour one, or…?"

Sharing a look of agreement, Bella and Rosalie admitted they wanted to see their own places. They agreed to look around and meet in the gardens in a little bit.

Charlie and Peter mysteriously had a call they needed to make together, which left Bella and Edward to head into their home alone while Rosalie and Emmett did the same next door.

The feeling of opening the door with her own key, which fit safely alongside the key to her father's house on her keyring, filled Bella to the brim and shoved a few more tears from her eyes for good measure. It was completely overwhelming, not to mention long overdue.

Sucking in a deep breath, Bella gazed up at Edward's grin as she twisted the key in the lock and felt the mechanism shift within.

The door opened into a narrow hallway, the stairs leading up on the right. The open doorway on the left led into a large living area, which stretched all the way to the back of the house. As it was a new build, there was no furniture inside at all. The hardwood floor shone under Bella's feet as she stepped in, clutching Edward's hand tightly; he chuckled.

"I chose the flooring before I knew it was for us, but I think it works."

Bella smiled up at him and nodded. "It's lovely." It was honey-toned and complimented the magnolia walls.

As they moved back toward the patio doors overlooking the garden, Bella could already picture a dining table there, the doors open so the children, plus Sammy and Faith, could gallivant between the indoors and outdoors.

The kitchen was on the right; the honeyed hardwood continued through and matched the countertops, while the cupboards and drawers had a glossy white finish. It was easy to picture herself making meals here, the new baby babbling in a highchair while Marley and Bodhi ate at the table nearby. She'd even be able to watch over them in the garden while she washed up thanks to the sink being placed in front of the large window.

Edward and Bella continued through the house together. There was a small bathroom downstairs as well as another upstairs. They poked their heads into each of the bedrooms. Bella instinctively knew which room should belong to which child; Marley got the largest, while the two boys would have the two slightly smaller, but still roomy, bedrooms. The fourth bedroom was more than big enough for Bella and Edward. They stopped there, gazing down at their yard as Bella tried to arrange her thoughts.

"This is…it's too much."

Edward sighed, looping an arm around her shoulders and placing a kiss on her temple. "It's far too much, but you know your dad – and Pete. They've obviously been planning this for a long time."

With furrowed brows, Bella peered up at Edward. "You swear you didn't know about this?"

His insistence that they needed a place of their own had played on Bella's mind in the days since Easter when her dad and Peter revealed their extravagant gifts. He was right, of course, but still…

"I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that," he murmured with a cocked brow, shaking his head.

Muffled yelling pulled their attention out of the window; Emmett grinned from below, gesturing for them to join him.

By the time they made it downstairs, Charlie, Peter, and Rosalie were also outside. Bella grinned at her dad as she stopped where a fence should separate the gardens. "No fence?"

Charlie and Peter exchanged smirks and shrugged. "We figured you'd tell us if you wanted one."

Bella and Rosalie laughed, waving the idea away. "What's the point, when the kids are probably going to end up going back and forth anyway?"

"So," Charlie coughed, looking a little nervous as he twisted his moustache. "What do you think? Will it do?"

With tears in her eyes, Bella waddled over to pull him into an awkward hug around her bump. "Oh, Dad…it's perfect. It'll more than do."

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **May 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2020**_

The next month seemed to fly by.

Everyone pitched in to help move, so by the time Bella's due date – May 10th – had been and gone, they were all-but settled in the new house. Rosalie and Emmett were in, too, just in time for her due date on the seventeenth.

Although she'd gotten increasingly excited about having a home of her own, Bella found herself wandering around the house one evening, missing the sounds of her dad's favourite cop show on the TV or his poor attempts at stifling his excitement every time his beloved West Ham United scored. She missed the smell of his aftershave and chatting to him over coffee – decaf for her – in the morning before he set off to work. After so long away from him, Bella had enjoyed his little routines.

Suddenly being without them, being without _him_ , was weird.

It didn't help that her hormones were all over the place, her nesting instinct well and truly at the helm.

Marley had settled back into school after their trip out to the USA, Bodhi was loving being able to volunteer at the farm again with his Mimi and six new cousins, and life was finally more settled than it had ever been. If only this baby would arrive, everything would be set.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Mamma! Paul's here!"

Wiping her hands on a dish towel, Bella sucked in a deep breath and waddled into the living area in time to see Paul stepping inside.

"Marley, what did I tell you about opening the door without me or your dad?" Bella chided.

Marley shrugged, paying more attention to the bag in her hands than her mother. "It's just Paul, Mamma. I wouldn't open it to a stranger."

Shaking her head, Bella offered Paul a smile – sometimes, it was wiser to choose her battles. "How are you? Tea, coffee?"

Paul smiled, ruffling Bodhi's hair as the little boy skidded past in search of his bottle. He mumbled a 'thank you' when Bella pointed him toward the kitchen. "No, thank you, Bella. I'm good, though. How're you doing? You ready to pop yet?"

Sighing and rubbing her enormous bump, Bella sank into the nearest chair. "I was ready two weeks ago, truth be told. The sooner this little guy gets out of here, the better. I've never been this pregnant before."

"Right. Marley and Bodhi were early."

"Six and four weeks early, yes." Now ten days overdue, Bella was fed up with pregnancy. Her ankles hurt, her back hurt, it hurt to breathe…everything hurt. Shaking off her pregnancy blues, she managed a smile. "So, where are you taking them today? Bodhi mentioned the zoo…?"

As Marley and Bodhi shoved their feet into shoes and hunted down jackets, Paul explained his plan to take them to the zoo before going for dinner at Harleywood Diner – the kids' current favourite restaurant.

"I'm gonna g-get a fr-freakshake, Mamma!" Bodhi told her emphatically, his grin a mile wide.

"Oh, you are, are you?" Bella smoothed his fringe away from his eyes, making a mental note to book him in for a haircut soon. "Be careful not to make yourself sick, okay? You remember what happened last time."

Sheepish, Bodhi mumbled a promise to be careful before hightailing it into the hall when Paul laughed and rubbed his hands together, asking if they were ready. Bella heaved herself up to walk them out to the Mercedes, leaning in the doorway as Paul supervised Marley and Bodhi while they buckled themselves in; he'd purchased car seats for them both. He still didn't know that Marley was his biological niece, but she often accompanied him and Bodhi during their playdates these days. Mostly because he didn't like to leave her out, but also because it gave Bella a break when Edward was at work. She had a day off from school thanks to a teacher training day, so Bella saw no reason for her to miss out on a day at the zoo with her brother.

"Oh, Bella?"

The look on Paul's face immediately set Bella's heart racing. She sucked in a deep breath and forced a smile, already sort of knowing what he was going to ask; she'd been expecting it for weeks.

"I, uh…do you mind if I take Bodhi to meet my mom this weekend? She's in London for a gala, so I thought it would be good for them to meet. I can take Marley, too, if that's okay? She sort of talks about Marley like she's her granddaughter, too."

A heavy, leaden rock landed in the pit of Bella's stomach as she chewed the inside of her cheek. After weeks of unsupervised visits with Bodhi – and Marley – Paul had more than proven himself capable and trustworthy. Bodhi had never come home with so much as a scratch or a bad word about Paul. He always had them home early, and he hadn't missed a scheduled visit since the cock-up last year. Everything he'd done and said led up to this – to his parents getting to meet their grandson.

 _And granddaughter, because Marley was their grandchild, too, though they didn't know it._

Swallowing hard and forcing herself to meet Paul's hopeful gaze, Bella managed a small nod. "Okay, that's f-fine. We'll talk about it properly later, is that all right?"

The relief on Paul's face was all too obvious; Bella felt good for putting it there, even though she felt like she was going to faint at the thought of both of them being so far away from her. London was a couple of hours away, while all their playdates thus far had been in the local park or the cinema twenty minutes away.

Something about this was different. It made Bella far more nervous than any playdate up until now.

"Sure, later is fine. All right, I'll get going. I'll see you later!"

 **~ oOo ~**

For the rest of the day, Bella fretted. By the time Edward returned from work, she was lying on the sofa with the dogs snoozing nearby, her lip chewed raw.

"Hey, _mi amore_ , what's all this?" He smoothed his thumb gently over her mouth, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose once she'd struggled upright.

"Paul wants to take the kids to meet his mum in London this weekend. I've said 'yes,' but now I think I need to tell him about Marley, and I'm freaking out a little bit. Tell me I'm freaking out over nothing."

Pursing his lips and resting back on his haunches, Edward sighed. "I don't think you're freaking out over nothing, _mi amore_. It's a big deal, but we always knew it was coming, didn't we?"

Nodding, Bella felt tears springing to her eyes. "I'm nervous, Hubs. I don't know…I don't know how he's going to take it."

"He's probably going to be shocked, maybe a bit upset…possibly angry, too. It's a big deal, right?"

"Right." Blowing out a long breath, Bella rested her forehead against Edward's. "Why didn't we just tell him before we went to America?"

Edward smiled. "Because you didn't want to upset him right before a big trip. It's time now, _mi amore_. We'll tell him when he brings the children home later, okay? I'll be with you; we'll tell him together."

And they did.

Later, once Bella had distracted Marley and Bodhi with the dogs in the garden, she told Paul about his brother and how he'd ended up buried behind the ranch house – the very land Paul himself had lived on for a short time.

The land they'd recently visited.

Paul was, understandably, shocked. He was also angry and upset – but he understood. He'd long since realised that his brother wasn't the man he'd thought him to be and accepted the reality that Marcus was likely dead thanks to his shady dealings. He'd already mourned the loss of his big brother, though it still hurt to finally hear how he'd died – and why. As Bella squeezed Edward's hand until it hurt, Paul promised that it changed nothing. As far as he was concerned, and as far as his mother would know, Marley was Bella's daughter.

With that out of the way, they made arrangements for Paul to collect Marley and Bodhi bright and early the following morning. He'd take them to visit his mother in London, spend the day and night there, then return them first thing Sunday morning.

The idea of the children being gone overnight filled Bella with dread. The drive to London was long for children with short attention spans, so to do it twice with a long day in between…Bella didn't begrudge Paul the extra breathing room. Still, before finalising their plans, they ran it by the children themselves.

"So, we'll have a sleepover with Paul?" Marley asked, looking between her parents and Paul.

"If you want to," Edward stressed, tugging her over into his side. "Would you rather stay over at Paul's flat in London, or drive back tomorrow evening? Don't forget, if you drive back tomorrow, it's going to be super late."

Marley narrowed her eyes and picked her nails for a moment before looking to Bodhi; he was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Sammy's head in his lap, a contented smile on his face. "What do you want to do, Beesy?"

Bodhi shrugged, then grinned at Paul. "A sleepover. Paul p-promised we can have Mc-McDonald's for breakfast when we have a sl-sleepover."

Chuckling, Paul nodded. "That's true, pal. I did promise that." He met Bella's gaze. "He's got a cracking memory, this one. I must've said that…Jesus, months ago."

Edward snorted. "If it has anything to do with McDonald's, he'll remember." Motioning Bodhi over, Edward waited until he had both children in front of him before he continued. "Now, you two will both be going for this sleepover if you go, but if you _do_ go, you won't be able to come home in the middle of the night, all right? It's too far for Paul to drive you back if you get homesick, but you'll be coming right home first thing in the morning."

Cupping Marley's face with one hand and Bodhi's with the other, he added, "Mamma and I will be a phone call away if you need us, but if you don't think you're going to be able to stay away a whole night, you don't have to, you'll just have to tell us now."

Marley linked her fingers with Bodhi and tucked him into her side. "We'll be okay, Daddy. Pinky promise."

The corner of Edward's lips curled up into a small smile as he nodded, kissing both of their heads. "All right, then."

 **~ oOo ~**

The following morning, Bella waved the children off with a rock in her stomach and a queasy churning in her gut.

Her nerves abated somewhat when Marley and Bodhi Facetimed her at lunchtime to say they were in London on the London Eye with Paul and his mum. Bodhi had said, "She t-told us we could call her 'Nana Jo' 'cause 'Mrs. Lucien' is too long."

He'd also whispered that she kept getting all mushy when he or Marley called her 'Nana Jo,' which he thought was odd, but other than that, she was nice.

By two p.m., Bella's attention was pulled elsewhere.

"Hubs, please can you throw my phone over? Thanks." Bella caught her ringing phone as Edward tossing it neatly across the coffee table before returning his focus to the TV. West Ham was playing Tottenham, so he and Charlie were exchanging taunting texts each time each other's team got one up on the other.

"Hey, Rose. Why didn't you just come over instead of calling?"

" _Because I can't bloody walk, dammit. Jesus, B, how did you do this twice?"_

It took a moment for it to click. "Oh my God, Ro – are you in _labour_?"

Edward was up off the couch within seconds, heaving Bella to her feet before grabbing the car keys from the dining table and his own phone from the kitchen, where it had been charging.

" _For about four hours,_ " Rosalie panted. _"Get out here, will ya? We're going to the hospital. You can come with me and Em."_

When Bella waddled outside, she almost laughed at the look on Emmett's face. It was sheer pre-parental panic with a touch of amusement at his wife's muffled curses thrown in for good measure. Rosalie was already in the car, so Bella climbed in, reaching through the front two seats to squeeze her shoulder.

"How far apart are your contractions, hon?"

"Two minutes," Rosalie whined, reaching back to squeeze Bella's hand as another contraction tore through her. Bella coached her through it; by the time it was over, Emmett and Edward had joined them, and they were en-route to the hospital. "Bloody hell, this hurts." She turned to Emmett. "You're okay with just the one child, yeah?"

Emmett chuckled and patted her hand. "Sure, babe. Just the one."

"I'm not sure patronising her is the way to go, buddy," Edward supplied helpfully, fighting a grin.

"Edward's right, _buddy_ ," Rosalie growled, releasing a low whine when another contraction took hold as they were pulling into the hospital grounds.

"Pull up here, Em. I'll park; you guys go on ahead."

Bella, Rosalie, and Emmett piled out while Edward hopped into the front and swung the car around to find a spot. When he caught up with them, Emmett had pushed Rosalie in a chair to the maternity ward, where they were being checked in. Bella met him in the waiting room.

"We can go in once they're all checked in," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder once he'd sat down beside her. "People keep asking if I'm okay."

Edward snorted. "I guess they think we're here for you."

"Hopefully we will be soon," Bella muttered, rubbing her bump where their unborn son was kicking. "We still need a name."

"I told you, we can't name him until he's here and we've met him."

Smirking, Bella peered up at him. "You helped me pick a name for Bodhi before he was born."

"That was different."

"Why?"

Edward stifled a smile. "It just was. Hush, woman."

A few minutes later, Emmett came to fetch Bella and Edward and show them to the room where Rosalie was already red-faced and panting as though she was ready to push.

Not even half an hour later, Edward was relegated to the waiting room while Bella and Emmett held Rosalie's hands and encouraged her to breathe through the pain of her contractions and pushes.

At exactly four p.m., a day early, Rosalie gave birth to a beautiful, eight-pound baby boy. Emmett cut the umbilical cord while Bella tearfully pressed a kiss to her best friend's sweaty head and praised her hard work.

"You were amazing, Rose," she croaked, staring into the tear-filled eyes of her very best friend. "So brave."

With no pain relief, Rosalie had made short work of first-time labour. She huffed and let her head fall back against the pillows, laughing quietly. "I can't believe I have a baby. A freaking _baby_ , B!"

As if to confirm her words, baby McCarty let out a loud squawk from his besotted daddy's arms. He had very little hair, but he stared back at his mum with his daddy's enormous grey-blue eyes.

As he was passed from Emmett to Rosalie, Bella ran her fingers over his chubby cheek and laughed. "Marley and Bodhi are going to be so pissed they missed this."

Rosalie cursed under her breath, giggling against her baby boy's head. "They are, aren't they? Damn."

"Language, ladies," Emmett teased. "We'll promise them babysitting duties as penance for having him while they're away," he suggested with a wink.

Having been fetched from the waiting room by a nurse at Rosalie's insistence, Edward slipped into the room and hovered near the door, out of the way; he chuckled at Emmett's suggestion. "That would probably work, actually. I think they're fed up with waiting for their brother to turn up. This one will tide them over nicely."

 **~ oOo ~**

Later, once Rosalie and the baby had been cleaned up, and Peter had arrived and had his turn cuddling his first grandson, Emmett and Rosalie decided it was time for everyone to hear the new little guy's name.

Emmett was holding his son as he shared a meaningful look with Rosalie before meeting Edward's gaze. "We decided on Xavier Edward."

Tears glistened in Edward's emerald eyes as he clapped Emmett gently on the shoulder before accepting the baby as Emmett handed him over. He gazed down at little Xavier Edward's sleeping face, ghosting his fingertips over his hat-covered head.

"Hey, little guy. I guess you drew the short straw and got stuck with the old man name."

Peter and Emmett snorted, startling baby Xavier. He let out a squeak and blinked up at his namesake.

"Don't mind them, _piccolo_. There you go." Being rocked sent Xavier back to sleep; he settled down with a soft hum, making everyone laugh quietly.

"It's your turn next," Rosalie told Bella with a smirk.

"Jesus, I won't live it down if he doesn't hang on at least until his brother and sister are home. Could you imagine the uproar? I'd never hear the end of it."

Marley and Bodhi had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their cousin and brother for what apparently felt like forever, according to them; Bella already knew they were going to be upset to have missed Xavier's arrival. Missing their baby brother's first day in the world would just add insult to injury. She'd been hesitant to let them go away overnight in the first place, with her delivery imminent, but Bella hadn't wanted to sound like she was making excuses. Paul had seemed nervous asking to have Bodhi overnight for the first time; she didn't want to make it worse by turning him down.

Besides, this baby seemed more than content to hang around a while longer than expected.

 **~ oOo ~**

Bella and Edward spent a couple of hours with the new family before kissing them goodbye and heading home to let them spend some time together without being crowded. As Peter drove, he couldn't stop talking about his brand-new grandson, his excitement palpable.

The house seemed quiet without Marley and Bodhi. The dogs were restless, both Sammy and Faith searching for their little mistress and master before finally settling at the foot of Edward and Bella's bed with twin huffs of confusion.

"They'll be home tomorrow, guys," Edward told them, though the words were more for Bella than the Dalmatians.

As the excitement of Xavier's arrival wore off, her nerves at having the children so far away intensified. The baby was kicking up a storm, her back killing from standing so long at the hospital and her head throbbing with all her worried thoughts.

A thunderstorm rolled in overnight, an unrelenting sheet of rain pelting the windows and roof. Faith whined softly with each crack of thunder. Though Sammy couldn't hear it, he picked up on his sister's worry; he cried every time she flinched. Eventually, they both scrambled under the covers and settled, wrapped around Bella and Edward's feet. Still, the storm raged on, Bella's heart racing faster and faster as the night wore on. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone wasn't right.

By the time dawn broke, she was a jumpy wreck, compulsively checking her phone for messages from the children to say they were on their way home. Paul had promised he'd get them to call when they left London, but when she still hadn't heard a peep by eight a.m., Bella nudged Edward awake.

"They were supposed to be leaving by now," she whispered, trying not to panic.

"I'm sure they're just running late, _mi amore_ ," Edward yawned, rubbing his eyes. "You know what the kids are like in the morning, and they probably had a late night."

"I'm sure you're right…" Bella said the words, but she didn't believe them.

Something was wrong.

Bella managed to roll out of bed and make her way downstairs, settling herself on the sofa in front of the living room windows. Her phone rested silently on her knee.

Edward joined her a little while later with the dogs hot on his heels. He made breakfast, showered, and nipped next-door to grab a pre-packed bag of clothes for Emmett to take to the hospital; they'd forgotten it the previous day in their rush to get Rosalie there.

Still, after a visit to the new little family and a very wet, windy spin around the park with the dogs, Edward returned to an increasingly frantic Bella, who still hadn't received an answer to the three texts she'd sent and two phone calls.

Despite keeping his calm throughout the morning, Edward couldn't stifle the spike of worry when he glanced at the clock and read the hands.

 _Ten thirty._

 _They should be home by now. Where the hell are they?_

"I'll try giving Paul another call. _Mi amore_ , you need to relax. It's not good for you or the baby, okay?"

Bella nodded and huffed a few deep breaths, her brows furrowed. She sat heavily at the dining table, staring at her blank phone screen as if willing it to ring.

Edward stepped into the hall and watched Sammy and Faith wash each other on the sofa through the living room door as he hit dial and held the phone to his ear, willing Paul to answer this time—

 _This is Paul Lucien. Sorry I can't take your call right now. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can._

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation, Cullen," Edward told himself, leaving a message in as calm a tone as he could manage, despite the turmoil tearing his insides to pieces. He'd managed to keep it together this far, but now he was starting to wonder if Bella's gut feeling was right.

He began to wonder if Paul Lucien was as trustworthy as he made out.

Just then, his phone began to ring again in his hand. Noting that it was Riley, Edward walked back in to where Bella was anxiously pacing.

"Hey, Riley. How are you doing, man?"

" _Good, Ed, I'm good. We've just wrapped a big case so I've got suits kissing my ass and a big-ass bonus coming my way."_ He sounded smug; Edward pictured him grinning at himself in his uber-modern office in New York. _"Anyway, I was calling to check in on our Bella. It was great to hear that Rosalie's little 'un arrived safe and sound, so now we're one baby down, one to go."_

Eyeing his anxiety-ridden fiancée, Edward sighed. "Bella's doing okay. I think we're all just ready for the little guy to get here, now. Hang on, I'll put you on speaker."

Joining Bella on the sofa, he set the phone to speaker and held it between them.

"Hey, Riley."

" _Hi, Bella. Your old man tells me you're ready for this baby to arrive, huh? How're you feeling?"_

"I'm definitely ready." Rubbing her bump, Bella managed a weak smile. "We need our little quarterback, right?"

With a loud bark of laughter, Riley agreed. _"Damn right, Bella! You've already got your linebacker in Beesy and your wide receiver with Mars. Now we need our quarterback. Speaking of the kiddos...how are they? Behaving, I hope."_

Tears flooded Bella's eyes and gathered on her lashes. Her hormones were all over the place. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she told Riley about Marley's recent school report - perfect apart from a comment about her sassing the teacher when told hitting wasn't allowed. She'd defended herself by telling everyone who'd listen that she was only protecting her friend from a bully in the year above.

Bella had lectured her on never resorting to violence, while Edward had given her an extra scoop of ice cream for sticking up for her friend.

" _I could use an attitude like that on the team here,"_ Riley chuckled. _"And Beesy?_ "

"He's great, too. Utterly obsessed with the farm, just like when you saw him last. He goes with Esme most days."

" _They're good kids, Bella. You - and Edward - should be incredibly proud. Can I say 'hi?'"_

Edward rubbed his five o'clock shadow as Bella admitted they were out with Paul. "He's had them since yesterday. He took them to meet his mother," she added.

There was a long pause before Riley thoughtfully observed, _"Just his mother? Glad to hear he kept his father away. So, he finally told you about the plan, then?"_

"Yeah, he told us. We didn't see any reason to stop him."

" _Wait, what? I've got to say, I'm surprised that you're so calm about it. I wouldn't have thought you'd let Paul take Bodhi like that, knowing what his father was planning. Or did he tell you he managed to get him to lay off?"_

Frowning, Edward and Bella shared a confused look. "What does Paul's father have to do with it? He only told us he was taking Bodhi and Marley to meet his mother; he didn't mention his father at all." Edward hesitated for a moment, Riley's words repeating back in his mind. "Wait...what do you mean, 'take Bodhi like that?'"

Edward and Bella listened to Riley curse before there was a thump through the phone; like a palm hitting wood. _"Didn't Paul tell you part of the plan - well, his father's plan - was to officially acknowledge Bodhi as his, change his name to Lucien, and bring him into the family? Preferably with you, Bella?"_

Time stopped. The Earth ceased its turning. All the air was sucked from the room as Edward and Bella inhaled deep breaths, pain and disbelief slamming into them like wrecking balls.

Bella's mind whirred, her memories of Paul and how sweet he'd been these last months, how apologetic and nervous he'd looked yesterday, suddenly tainted by this nefarious plan he'd been working on all this time.

"Riley, I don't...what are you saying…?" Bella stuttered, her heart racing.

" _I'm sorry, this isn't...Fuck, this isn't how I wanted this to come out. What plan are you talking about? What did he tell you?"_

Seeing that Bella was clearly not going to be able to talk right now, Edward reached over to twine their fingers tightly together, speaking through a tightly clenched jaw. "He told us he was taking the kids to meet his mum in London. We told him about his relation to Marley, too. He didn't say anything about his father, and he sure as hell didn't say anything about publicly acknowledging the relationship _or_ plans to take Bodhi."

The mere thought of Paul taking his son lit Edward's entire body on fire; fury and fear licked through his veins as he forced the image of Bodhi's little rucksack from his mind, the embroidered 'Bodhi Swan' replaced by 'Bodhi Lucien.' And now Paul knew the truth about Marley which would sweeten the pot.

 _Fuck._

A string of muffled curses came through the phone from New York, several thumps preceding Riley's long huff. _"That asshole was supposed to tell you about his father's demands, and he was meant to do it right after you got back from the States. I knew he didn't really want to go through with it - it was his father's plan - but he's under the thumb; he has a lot of control over Paul, for whatever reason. Look, I'll do some more digging. But, please, don't let him have the kids again until I get back to you. When are they due home?"_

Edward glanced at the clock, icy fear slithering into his gut. "Around an hour ago, actually."

" _Fucking hell. All right, sit tight, you two. There's nothing to worry about, okay? I'm gonna fix this. I'll call you back as soon as I can."_

Riley hung up, foregoing setting down his phone in lieu of calling his personal pilot. As he waited for the call to connect, he swivelled in his chair and gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling window at the Eiffel Tower.

Now, feeling the same dread that Bella had been feeling all night and all morning, Edward tried to call Paul one more time, again reaching his answerphone. He began to wonder if she could possibly be right when she sucked in a shuddering sigh, squeezed his hand impossibly tight, and asked, "It's happened again, hasn't it? I think he's stolen our babies."

* * *

 **Still with me? *hides face***

 **I don't want to spoil anything but I sometimes, everything is not as it seems...**

 **PS. I keep forgetting to include this in my A/Ns...please join me in my FB group,** CiaraShayee's Subconscious **. I'll be sharing teasers and pictures and whatnot over there, so don't miss out. Also, Elise de Sallier has created a wonderful group on Facebook for those who have published their fics, moved from FF to original fiction, or are looking at potentially doing a combination of the two. It's called** Twific Published Authors **and we'd love to have you if that's something you're interested in!**

 **Also, if you haven't read it yet, I posted Emmett and Rosalie's engagement in a separate story titled** Valentinos **. It's on my profile if want to read about those two cutiepies :)**

 **xo**


	19. Chapter Sixteen

**So...some of you were pretty murderous, some  
of you trusted me, and I think all of you were just praying  
Bodhi and Marley were okay.**

 **I won't keep you long up here, I'll let you get to it  
and stick my A/N at the bottom**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Sixteen**

" _An amber weather warning has been put in place for the south-east on account of the torrential rain and high-strength gales. There has been an accident on the M23 southbound; two cars have overturned while a third has mounted the grass verge. Emergency services are battling the elements and the traffic to help those affected."_

The TV screen went black; Rosalie set down the remote on the coffee table. "No more news, Bella."

Bella stroked her bump, her bloodshot eyes still trained on the now-blank screen. She'd been watching the news for the past few hours, ever since Rosalie arrived with Emmett and Xavier in tow and the news that people were being advised to stay indoors because of the insane weather.

"What if it's them, Ro? In one of those cars?"

Rosalie tried to conceal her wince as she rocked her sleeping son, taking comfort in his new-baby smell and the warm weight of him in her arms; she knew it had to be killing Bella to have Marley and Bodhi out there somewhere, Paul's no-show and radio silence worrying everyone.

"They aren't in any of those cars, Bella. You know they're probably just caught in that horrific traffic. They said on the radio that a lot of the phone companies are having issues with downed lines and stuff, too, but I'm sure he'll call as soon as he can."

The past six hours had been excruciating.

Edward had called Charlie, who'd called Peter, who'd called Carlisle, Archie, and Emmett; the entire clan had gathered at Edward and Bella's house, the children playing upstairs while the adults tried to work out what was going on from their base at the kitchen table. The police had been called, but they were busy thanks to the weather, so they were still waiting for an officer to show up.

While Rosalie snuggled Xavier and kept an eye on Bella with Esme in the living room, Edward paced underneath the arch joining it to the dining area, Charlie, Peter, Carlisle, Emmett, and Archie all sitting at the table. Edward's gaze routinely darted between the clock and his fiancée's profile. She was slumped in the armchair, her hands twisting the fabric covering her bump when they weren't rubbing soothing circles over their unborn son's protruding feet. Her cheeks were splotchy, her eyes rimmed with the agony of all the tears she'd shed, and her chest heaved every so often in shuddery, silent cries.

It was breaking his heart.

Faith sat near Edward, her eyes following his agitated movements, while Sammy rested his head on Bella's slipper-clad foot and offered her silent comfort in the only way he knew how.

Frowning, Edward paused his pacing and looked toward the front door at the sound of a knock. It wasn't the kids, because they'd let themselves in; that was the only thing stopping everyone rushing toward the door.

Sucking in a deep breath, he strode through the living room, gently telling Bella to stay as she tried to heave herself up. Opening the door with the dogs hot on his heels, Edward deflated even as shock wormed its way into his features.

He'd known it wouldn't be, but it still hurt when it wasn't Paul or the kids on the doorstep.

"Riley? What are you doing here?" He frowned. "How did you get here so fast?"

Riley's grin melted away, his eyes narrowing in on Edward's furrowed brows, rumpled clothes, and manhandled hair. "When I called, I was in my Paris office. I caught a flight out of Charles de Gaulle as soon as I could."

That made sense, considering it took at least seven hours to fly between New York and London, plus another hour or so driving from the airport to Eastbourne.

"What's going on, what's wrong? Tell me he's brought them back by now."

Edward gestured for him to come in out of the rain, taking his umbrella and sodden coat before waving him into the living area. Everyone else was just as confused by his appearance as Edward had been.

"Congratulations, sweetheart," Riley murmured, kissing Rosalie's forehead before stroking Xavier's head and moving over to Bella. "Where are the kids, hon?"

The heavy, shaky breath Bella inhaled made Edward wince; he raked his hand through his hair.

"Paul…he's t-taken Marley and Bodhi. They were supposed to be home around nine this morning, before we spoke to you, but he's not answering his phone and nobody can get hold of him."

Before Riley could fly off the handle, Edward motioned for him to head into the kitchen. There, he quietly explained what had transpired between their phone call and the moment he showed up on the doorstep - which was woefully little, as far as finding the children was concerned.

"So, they went to the London Eye with Paul and the mother. After that?"

Edward sighed and raked both hands through his hair, unable to resist letting a single tear fall.

"After that...nobody knows where he took them."

 **~ oOo ~**

Within the hour, Riley had called in as many favours as he could.

The local police had finally arrived, but Riley was in control. He had agents on the way and contacts from all over the country in a multi-way call on the other end of the phone; all of them looking for Paul Lucien, Marley, and Bodhi.

After their conversation that morning, Riley had been on the first flight to England to congratulate Rosalie and Emmett in person and get to the root of the Paul situation. He'd expected to find everyone celebrating and loving on the new baby - including Marley and Bodhi.

Instead he'd found chaos and terror on the faces of a family he loved like his own.

As the house became noisier with the arrival of the police, Riley found Bella amidst the sea of craziness.

He kneeled in front of her in the armchair, cupping her tear-stained cheeks as he wiped tears from below her eyes with his thumbs. She stared into his gaze with fear and heartbreak taking creating a tempest in her eyes.

As a young man starting out in the FBI, Riley Lawrence had one day believed he'd have it all. The career, the wife, the family...but things hadn't worked out that way. His career consumed his life; perhaps it was healthy, perhaps it wasn't. Regardless, he'd never gotten around to settling down and having children of his own.

 _But now, you've got Alyssa…_ Riley forced the image of Bella's beautiful friend from his mind. They'd exchanged a few messages since he met her at Bodhi's birthday party, although he wasn't sure where it was headed - if anywhere. They lived thousands of miles apart; she had a child, and he had a career that consumed almost every second of his days.

But Bella...he couldn't deny the almost paternal feelings he felt toward her. They spoke at least once a week, even if it was just a quick conversation over WhatsApp when she'd send him pictures of the kids or he'd send a video of himself eating funnel cake, Bella's favourite American treat. He didn't have kids, but she was as close as he was going to get. This family, this crazy, blended, mish-mashed family, belonged to Riley in every way that counted. Blood-relations or not, they were his.

Nothing and nobody would hurt one of his own and get away with it.

"I'll get them back, Bella. It doesn't matter what I have to do, I _will_ get those babies back to you. Do you hear me?"

Hiccupping a soft cry, Bella nodded and closed her eyes against an onslaught of tears. "I can't lose them, Riley. I can't—"

"Over my dead body will you lose them." Pressing a kiss to her head as he stood, Riley reiterated his promise. "Whatever it takes, Bella, I'll get them back."

 **~ oOo ~**

The afternoon passed achingly slowly, with a deep sense of foreboding and nervous anticipation.

Discussions took place around the table regarding Paul's conversation with Riley back in Washington; it couldn't be avoided, the 'what ifs' heavy in everyone's minds.

They were both relieved Paul had decided to go against his father's wishes and confused because his actions didn't match up with what he'd told Riley. Though they now knew what his initial motivation had been when he came looking for them, nobody felt any better about the situation. Instead, they were only saddened by their misplaced trust and the knowledge that a man who'd had such nefarious intentions, whether he was being pushed into it or not, was currently the only person who knew where Marley and Bodhi were.

It was bitterly cold; the rain finally let up shortly before sunset, the wind dropping shortly after. It was eerily still and quiet outside without the gales and downpour. Bella moved from the armchair to the doorstep, her small body dwarfed by Edward's hoodie and Riley's thick, navy FBI winter jacket. She shivered but refused to come inside, no matter how much anyone begged. Her hands remained firmly on her bump, and the only movements she made were to stroke the spots where tiny feet and elbows pressed against her touch from the inside.

Rosalie alternated between sitting with her, trying to coax a warm drink into her shaking, frozen hands, taking care of her day-old son, and keeping the kettle going for the many bodies working hard to track down Paul and the children.

 _ **A couple of hours later…**_

Bella sighed, leaning into Edward's side as he curled an arm around her shoulders. His warmth contrasted against the chilly air, eliciting a shiver from her; she stared down at Mr. Eddie in her lap. The bunny was worn and missing an eye – an unfortunate casualty of Sammy's destructive chewing stage – but still smelled faintly of Marley's strawberry shampoo and sweet, pretend perfume. Even now, at ten years old, she hated sleeping without the stuffed toy. Carl-Roman had noticed it on the floor beside her bed, bringing it down to his auntie a short while ago. Bella's heart ached at the thought that it was now past her bedtime and she was without her beloved Mr. Eddie for a second night, possibly scared and worried because she and Edward had both promised her she and Bodhi would be home for bed ready for school tomorrow.

Biting her lip to stifle a sob, Bella blinked back tears and looked away from Mr. Eddie. Streetlights illuminated Riley and the police officers standing on the corner of the street holding back the few press cameras who'd gotten wind of what was going on. They'd cordoned off this end of the street, but Bella knew the cameras were still getting good shots of her vigil on the doorstep and the FBI agent barking orders at the police.

It hurt to look at Riley and feel even the faintest stirring of doubt – _can he keep his promise?_ – so Bella turned her face into Edward's coat and let his scent calm her.

The sound of Riley's raised voice and a commotion on the corner of the road caught Bella's attention.

A familiar crop of sandy brown hair closely followed by her name being yelled in an American accent had Bella up and waddling across the road, stuffed bunny clenched tight in her fist. Her heart took off at a sprint, panting breaths creating clouds in front of her face as she ran. Her bump didn't make it easy, but Bella rushed as quickly as possible to the ruckus, a sound somewhere between a scream and a squeal escaping her when she set eyes on the small, curious faces peering out at her from behind the tinted window of a beat-up Toyota.

" _My babies…_ "

A police officer opened the door, the children tumbling out of the car into their mother's relieved embrace.

Shivers wracked Bella's frame as she held Marley and Bodhi as tight as she could either side of the bump jutting from her middle, peppering their faces and hair with kisses tinged with desperation. Salty tears poured over her cheeks as she sucked breaths in between sobs. The sweet relief of having them in her arms, of being able to smell their hair and feel their warmth filled her to the brim. They were all sweetness, light, and _safe_.

"Mamma, what's wrong?" Marley asked when Bella pulled back. She reached out, using the end of her sleeve to dry her mamma's face; her brows were furrowed, her blue-green eyes worried. "Why are you sad?"

Bodhi stretched up so he was eye-level with Bella, his gaze crinkled at the edges by his smile. "S'okay, Mamma. We're h-home now. You don't hafta be sad."

"Oh, sweet boy," Bella choked out, a smile curling her lips; with her babies safe and _here_ , in her arms, she could finally smile again. "Are you okay? Both of you?"

Marley and Bodhi nodded in unison, twin grins lighting their faces. "We're fine, Mamma."

"Good. That's so good."

A warm hand brushed the back of her neck before Edward scooped both children into his arms, their legs dangling in the air as he stood and smothered their faces in kisses.

"Daddy, you're all _spiky_!" Bodhi giggled, trying to shove his dad's stubbly face away with his small hands. Edward huffed a laugh, gently bumping their foreheads together. He was drowning in relief, every taut muscle visibly relaxing with every second he held his little sweet and _tesoro_.

"Here, Bella," Riley said, offering Bella a hand up. Only then did she notice the chill of the wet ground seeping through the knees of her tracksuit bottoms. Bella hadn't been thinking when she fell to her knees to scoop up her babies; all she'd wanted was to feel and hold them.

Now, she realised how cold it was. Riley smiled and wrapped a thick blanket around her shoulders, watching Edward talking quietly with the children.

"…and Paul t-took us for _McDonalds_ , D-Daddy!" Bodhi told him, bouncing in Edward's hold.

Bella froze, her spine stiffening. _Paul._

All the other sounds seeped into her bubble of awareness. She'd only been focused on getting to Marley and Bodhi. She hadn't even noticed the man struggling in the hold of two FBI agents a few feet away.

"You," she snarled, dropping the blanket to stalk toward him. Her fists found purchase in his vest as a set of strong, warm arms came around her torso.

"Easy, Bells," Charlie warned, his tone belying his own, barely-in-control anger.

" _What the hell_ did you think you were doing?"

Paul's eyes were wide as he fought against the men holding his arms. "Bella, I don't know what the hell is going on. I don't understand—" He tugged hard against the agents. "Can you just _let go_ for a minute?"

"Watch yourself, son," Riley growled.

"Riley?" Paul's face greyed slightly as he realised there was a good chance his time was up. The time limit of 'soon' Riley had given him had very likely expired.

"If you don't explain _right the fuck now_ exactly why those kids are almost twelve hours late home, I'm going to throw your ass in jail for abduction and whatever the hell else I can think of."

" _Abduc…_ what?" Paul's wild eyes found Bella. "Fucking hell, Bella, what's going on?"

She sucked in a deep, cold breath, adrenaline leaching from her body as Charlie released her, but stayed close. "You're _late_ , Paul. Really late."

"My car…" He shook his head, frowning. "My car broke down. Engine fault, apparently. We had to wait for a tow truck, then my phone died, and I couldn't use the car to charge it. Piece of shit…" He looked up at the charcoal sky and released a nervous laugh.

When he looked back at Bella, his gaze was softer and clearly both apologetic and confused. "We managed to get back on the road, but the traffic made it impossible to get anywhere fast. We had to stop to get food and warm up after standing on the side of the road for ages, and the kids wanted to play on the claw machines, so we did that, too." Paul smiled briefly at the memory, then hung his head. "I tried to use the phone there, but the line was dead, and I didn't have your number anyway without any battery on my cell."

"It's true, Mamma," Marley said, slipping her small hand into Bella's. "Paul took us to get chicken nuggets and then when the truck came we got in the other car and came home once the cars started moving."

Bella gazed down at her daughter, brushing a stray lock of hair away from Marley's face. "You promise?"

Marley smiled. " _Pinky promise_ , Mamma."

"Bella," Paul called, frowning when Bella's red eyes found his face. "I don't…I'd _never_ hurt either of them. You know that, don't you?"

Charlie huffed and clapped a hand on Paul's shoulder, his expression grim. "Them getting hurt isn't the first place our thoughts jump to around here, son."

It took a few more seconds, but everyone saw the moment Paul realised what was going on. His eyes took in the amassed army of FBI agents and police officers. He spotted Edward holding Bodhi tight a few feet behind Bella, and saw the relief saturating every single person as they saw the children back in the arms of their parents.

"Oh, shit…Bella, Edward, I—"

If they hadn't already realised this had all been a monumental mistake and a total accident, it was then abundantly clear. Paul's skin turned white with sudden understanding. He looked sick with apology.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't even think—"

"Mamma?" Bodhi interrupted Paul, all eyes turning to the little boy. He stuck out his bottom lip and pointed toward the house. "Can we g-go inside? I'm cold."

Bella turned with Marley's hand still wrapped in hers, stretching up to kiss her son's chilly cheeky. "Yeah, baby. We can go inside now."

As the little family headed into their house, Bella paused to face Riley. "You can let him go."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Bella's eyes moved back to Paul. She'd spent the entire day sick with worry, her worst fears temporarily realised, but it was clear to her now with Paul's explanation and the children's corroborating stories that Paul hadn't tried to steal them. He'd simply had a car malfunction and found himself up shit creek without a paddle, as her Uncle Eleazer would say. He looked physically ill as he hung his head, no longer fighting Riley's agents.

"I'm sure, Riley." Bella hesitated for a moment. "We'll talk tomorrow." Her tone brooked no arguments; Paul nodded with a wince.

"All right, then. Let him go, boys."

Edward held the front door open for Bella and Marley to step through, looking back out at the street. The police were disbanding, the officers and agents heading for their cars. Riley was talking to Paul in the middle of the street, a stern expression on the former's face as the latter pinched the bridge of his nose and threw a quick, guilty glance at Edward.

Nodding once, Edward turned to follow his family inside.

 **~ oOo ~**

With her eyes closed, Bella listened to the giggles and splashing from down the hall. Bodhi was in the bath with Edward supervising, his happy laughter like a soothing balm on the jagged edge of the wounds inflicted by almost a full day of thinking her babies had been stolen.

Charlie tapped on the doorframe, leaning in the doorway with a small smile. He'd aged a dozen years in less than twenty-four hours. "Are you all right?"

"I'm…confused." Bella patted the bed beside her, waiting until Charlie had joined her before continuing. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you survive? When we were gone, how did you get through it?"

Sighing, Charlie linked their fingers together and squeezed. He got it. "With great difficulty. There were days I thought the pain of losing you was going to kill me. I spent weeks asking 'why us?' and drinking myself into oblivion. I won't lie to you, Bella, I spent a long time merely existing for the sake of your brother."

Bella could believe that. She'd spent less than a day believing her children had been abducted and it had seemed like an eternity. Her heart was still racing, her head pounding. Even though she knew Marley was downstairs fussing over baby Xavier – with both Emmett and Riley watching over her – and Bodhi was safe with his dad down the hall, every breath still came with a little difficulty. While she'd been terrified that her children were gone, Bella had realised how her dad and Peter had felt all those years she and Rosalie were in Montana.

The pain of knowing your children were unreachable was white-hot and more intense than anything Bella had ever felt. It was debilitating and agonising.

Bella couldn't understand how Charlie and Peter had withstood the pain for over a decade without succumbing to the abyss she'd felt hovering on the periphery of her mind all day.

Charlie gently cupped Bella's cheek with his free hand, turning her face toward him. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he managed a shaky smile, brushing the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "Do you know what got me through? You. Thinking of you and your strength, your spirit and determination. When I was at my weakest, I would look through the photo albums of you and remind myself that I'd raised a girl as beautiful inside as you are out. I'd remind myself that you were stronger than I'd ever been, and tell myself I'd have you back one day to tell you that in person. When the days dragged on and nightmares kept me awake all through the night, I would sit in your room and read your books to your teddies because it made me feel better, but also because I wanted to remember the way you'd tell me off for doing the voices wrong and skipping to the ending when I wanted to get back downstairs in time to watch a football game."

Snorting a laugh, Bella felt tears tumbling over her cheeks. "You used to do that all the time during football season."

Charlie chuckled, his own cheeks damp. "I know, and you gave me hell for it. So, you see, that's how I kept going. Even though it killed me to miss you, I knew your spirit would never fade away. You're a miracle, sweetheart."

Footsteps tearing down the hall preceded the arrival of a damp three-year-old; Bodhi threw himself into his Pawpaw's lap, sans towel or clothes, and chortled when Charlie pretended to be disgusted.

Edward loitered in the doorway, his green eyes ablaze with worry when he spotted the tears Bella hastily scrubbed from her cheeks.

"I'm okay," she mouthed, blowing him a kiss for good measure.

Edward's lips curled up, relief loosening his tense shoulders as he sighed and nodded, truly content for the first time all day.

 **~ oOo ~**

 _ **The following day**_

Bella sighed, sitting heavily at the dining table as she watched Paul sit with Bodhi at the outside picnic table. Everything had dried out overnight, so they'd headed out with a football under Bodhi's arm and a sombre expression on Paul's face.

He'd come over after calling ahead to check it was okay, admitting to Bella and Edward this was his last visit.

" _Out with it, Lucien," Edward barked after a tense silence descended._

 _Paul sighed, adjusting his tie as he watched Bodhi set up his goal in the garden. "I think it's time I took a step back and let you guys move on. I don't…you don't need me. I'm an interference in your lives, I see that now." He stood, Edward instinctively rising with him; Paul stared into the other man's hard gaze before extending a hand. "Take care of him for me, please?"_

 _Frowning, Edward shook Paul's hand and nodded, swallowing hard. "Of course. That was never in question."_

" _I know, I just needed to hear it." Moving his attention to Bella, Paul crouched beside her in the armchair. "I want you to know I'm truly sorry for every ounce of pain my family has caused you. Though I'm not going to bother you weekly anymore, I would like to request updates here and there, if that's okay. I care about them both, Bodhi_ and _Marley, I just know I'm not the best for them."_

 _With tears gathering on her lashes, Bella squeezed the hand Paul offered. "I promise. And you can still visit, okay? You don't have to just…disappear."_

 _Paul smiled sadly. "I think it's best for all our sakes that we take some time. It's going to be hard, for me at least."_

 _Edward huffed, tugging at his hair. "And your father? What happens if he pushes this?"_

 _Paul was already shaking his head before Edward finished speaking. "You don't need to worry about him. I've spoken to him, and I'm taking steps to make sure he could never be a problem for you. He'll never know about Marley being...about Marley."_

 _Words caught in Bella's throat, so she simply nodded as Paul stood, his expression becoming serious as he reached into his blazer pocket and removed a trio of envelopes._

" _These are for Marley and Bodhi when they're older, to tell them who their other family are, if you choose to let them know about us." He handed those two envelopes to Edward, then held the third out to Bella. "This is for you,_ for them _. I want you to use it for whatever they need, whenever they need it."_

 _Bella gasped when she opened the envelope and revealed a platinum credit card with her initials on it. "Paul…you can't…"_

" _I can. Please, Bella, humour me. You won't let me pay maintenance, so call this my contribution. Uniforms for school, day trips to the zoo, dinner out…whatever they want. I know you don't need it, but I do. I can't leave knowing I won't be contributing at all." Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he murmured, "I'll be upfront with you, it's not all my money. Some was Mar_ — _my brother's inheritance. Technically, it belongs to Marley now. He owes you and Marley just as much, if not more, than I do."_

 _Even as she mumbled her agreement, Bella knew she'd never use the card. She wouldn't feel right taking Paul's money, or Marcus' for that matter, not even for things for the children._

" _Oh, I've also had my lawyer fax over a load of health information, just in case you ever need it; I hope you won't obviously, but you'll have it there in case you do. You know where to find me if you need anything else."_

 _Bella nodded shakily. She hadn't even thought to ask about their medical history._

" _If it's okay, I'm going to go say 'goodbye.'"_

" _Of course, take your time."_

 _Paul loped into the garden like a man heading to the gallows. Bella and Edward watched him with wary eyes as he managed a smile for Bodhi and removed his tie to shoot penalties._

They'd been out there almost an hour before Paul gently guided Bodhi over to the table where they sat now, talking with their heads close together.

Edward returned from his dog walk, resting his hands on Bella's shoulders and giving a light squeeze. They both saw the moment Paul told Bodhi he was leaving.

Bodhi's features scrunched as he cocked his head and asked something - they couldn't hear him through the glass doors.

Paul shook his head, resting a hand on Bodhi's knee as he spoke.

A few minutes later, they came inside hand-in-hand, Bodhi looking upset while Paul appeared downright distraught.

"Daddy, can I have some h-hot chocolate, p-please?"

"Of course, _tesoro_."

"D'you want some, Paul?" Bodhi asked hopefully.

"No, thank you, buddy." Paul ruffled Bodhi's hair, trying for all his might to muster a grin. "I've got to head to the airport to catch my flight now."

"Oh," Bodhi mouthed.

"You be good for your mom and dad, though, okay? Take care of your sister and your little brother, when he comes."

"I will."

"Good."

"I'll walk you out," Edward mumbled. They'd just reached the doorway to the hall when Bella called Paul's name.

He turned, facing Bella with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry, too. For…" _telling you about Marcus too late…for keeping Bodhi from you…for keeping him now…for you having to let him go…_

His lips curled up slightly, his eyes damp. "You have nothing to apologise for, Bella, but thank you."

With that, he and Edward stepped out, leaving Bella to make a hot chocolate for her sullen boy.

On the doorstep, Paul straightened his shoulders and faced Edward, once again offering his hand. "Good luck for the future, Edward. You've got a wonderful life here. I'm only sorry I interfered in it this long."

"Don't be," Edward told him, brushing off the slight unease he felt to pull Paul in for a man-hug complete with an awkward back-slap. "You're making a hard decision now and doing the best for Bodhi. I can respect that more than anything else."

"Right. Uh, one more thing." He pulled a sheaf of papers from the inside of his blazer pocket, handing them to Edward before hesitating a beat, clearing his throat, and walking away.

Edward didn't go inside until he'd watched Paul climb into his rental car and drive down the street for the last time. His eyes burned and his hands trembled as he finally looked down, reading the words on the page in his hand. This was what Paul meant when he'd said he'd taken steps to make sure his father couldn't interfere in their lives.

 _I, The Petitioner, Paul Lucien, hereby relinquish all parental rights to The Child, Bodhi Edward Charlie Swan…_

* * *

 **So, there you have it. Paul didn't kidnap the kids, and now he's gone for good! I know a lot of you have been waiting for this day for a LONG time, but it needed to happen this way - it needed to be his choice.**

 **Thank you all for your support and your reviews on the last chapter! I responded to as many as possible between cranking out the next couple of chapters for you. I figured you'd rather a chapter than a PM from me ;)**

 **Huge thanks to** SunflowerFran **, who was kind enough to work on this for me even though she's not been well - get well soon, Frannie! - and to** annaharding **, for helping talk me through this chapter. I wouldn't have been able to do it without her!**

 **The next chapter is written and just needs tidying up, so expect that maybe late this week/early next, and then it's just the epilogue to go.**

 **Happy hump day, everyone! xo**


	20. Chapter Seventeen

**Okay, gang - this chapter has been waiting  
for two days now, but between complications  
with my home internet and FF, it's late. Sorry!**

 **Big thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for working their magic on this chapter, and also  
to all of you for being so patient with me! This tale is  
winding down now, and it's tough for me to write  
knowing I'm almost at the end. This will  
be the last regular chapter before the epilogue,  
and if you're on Facebook in my group - CiaraShayee's  
Subconscious - you'll have received your invite to the  
wedding of the year ;)**

 **Anyways...I'll let you get to it. Enjoy!**

 **Oh, and you _may_ need a tissue at the ready for your  
happy tears. Just sayin'... :)**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **All the familiar characters of course belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 _ **A few days later…**_

The storm made way for a few bright, sunny days in Eastbourne.

Rosalie and Emmett settled into a new routine with baby Xavier, their sleepless nights made worthwhile by their healthy, content son.

On Monday morning, Bella's midwife informed her that if she didn't go into labour naturally by Friday, she would have to be induced; her growing son was starting to put too much pressure on her petite frame. She hated the thought of needing intervention, so Bella resolved to try everything and anything to send herself into labour.

That night, she and Edward sat up until almost eleven p.m. sampling the hottest chillies sold at their local supermarket.

Despite wanting to keep them as close as possible for the foreseeable future, Bella reluctantly sent Marley to school and let Bodhi keep his standing date with Esme at the farm - though she insisted on dragging herself out to Breaking Dawn with them. The thought of having both children out of her sights so soon after the weekend had Bella breaking out in a cold sweat; she just couldn't do it. While Bodhi helped Esme, Bella sat on the porch with Renee, the owner of the farm. She was amused to discover that the older woman seemed to have something of a crush on Charlie, who'd been out to the farm with Esme and the children a couple of times.

Bella spent Tuesday trying to relax at home with Bodhi. Esme collected Marley from school with her six adopted children, taking her home for a playdate with the twins, James and William, who'd quickly become close friends with Marley. Carlisle, Mitchell, and Albie walked Faith and Sammy, returning home with two exhausted pooches just as Esme pulled up with a minivan full of kids, Edward right behind her in his car.

"L-look, Mamma!" Bodhi cried, his face pressed against the living room window. "Ev-everyone's here!"

"You'd best go let them in, then," she told him with a fond smile, laughing when Bodhi jumped down from the ottoman to open the front door before Carlisle could get there.

Rosalie, Emmett, and Xavier joined them for a barbecue, which spread across the joined garden. They spent the evening laughing, eating, and taking turns to cuddle the new baby. Even Esme and Carlisle's brood wanted in on the action, nobody able to stifle their smiles when Mitchell let go of his nervous disposition for a moment to snuggle Xavier and blow raspberries on his tiny hands.

As had become the norm, Esme collected Marley on Wednesday morning and drove her to school with Mitchell, Albie, James, William, Hunter, and Sophie, leaving Bella to entertain Bodhi. Her mind wandered as she helped him with puzzles at the kitchen table and made him giggle by cutting his jam sandwiches into smiley faces. The weekend had served to drive home how much the past affected their present. A normal parent would probably not have immediately jumped to the conclusion of an abduction, but Bella had.

Today, they were all heading to the park to say goodbye to the past. They'd all written letters to get everything off their chest, and they were going to bury them under a tree at the park; it currently stood in a pot in the back garden, waiting to be planted later on.

Bella was apprehensive. Even though she knew it was time to let go, writing her letter had been difficult for reasons she didn't expect.

She hadn't thought it would affect her so much, but sitting down and staring at the page with Garrett Smith's name at the top in her shaky writing was more painful than anticipated.

 _What do I say to the man who took everything from me?_

 _My family, my life, my sense of safety._

 _The man who beat me on a regular basis because I happened to look like my mother_ — _the woman he'd been obsessed with for over forty years._

 _The man Riley suspected of somehow orchestrating the murder of both Penelope and Tina._

 _The man who murdered a man right in front of me just to prove that he could._

 _The man who'd stopped at nothing to torture me up until his last breath, who'd tracked me to my home after I'd already escaped from him once to make sure I knew I'd never be safe as long as he was alive._

 _The man who shot the love of my life while I looked on, helpless and dangerously close to not only losing my precious son, but my own life, too._

 **~ oOo ~**

A cool, refreshing breeze blew through the small clearing, rustling tree branches and carrying the sounds of the babbling stream toward the group gathered in the centre of the grassy area.

Charlie and Peter huffed, dumping just enough soil into the hole around the roots of the tree to keep it upright. Then they straightened up and turned to face the group.

Carlisle and Esme stood with their arms around each other's waists and solemn expressions on their faces, Archie and Poppy beside them with a boy each - Callum in Archie's arms, Chase in Poppy's. Carl-Roman and Chloe were playing nearby along with Esme and Carlisle's brood, Marley, and Bodhi; Mitchell had offered to watch the younger kids, sensing this was something they wouldn't understand.

Rosalie had baby Xavier against her chest in a sling and Emmett's arms looped around her below their snoozing son. They wore matching pensive expressions, their eyes stormy with emotion. Heidi and Pippa stood together beside their older sister.

Edward and Bella were in the centre of the semi-circle. They held hands, Bella's grip on Edward's fingers bordering on painful as she clutched the letter she'd written. It was crumpled and stained by the tears she'd shed while she was writing, but nobody else would ever read it, and Bella already knew she'd never forget the words penned on the page. It didn't matter if it was smudged.

"Okay, guys, are we all ready?" Charlie murmured, reaching out for his daughter.

She left Edward with a shuddering sigh, linking her fingers with Charlie's. He gave her a quick hug before moving away with Peter, the group averting their eyes as she stepped up to the tree and dropped the letter into the hole.

"You don't get to hurt me anymore," she rasped, tears choking her. She forced herself to picture Garrett's greasy grey hair and narrow hazel eyes. "You did everything you could to destroy my family, but you failed. _You failed_...and we won. We've got everything, and you've got nothing." She turned to peer at her family; her wonderful family who'd supported her through so very much.

 _Charlie, her kind, loving father._

 _Archie, the brother she'd adored from the start, finally happy with Poppy and their gaggle of children._

"You didn't break me. You tried, but you underestimated me." A soft, warm hand joined Bella's; she squeezed Rosalie's fingers. "You underestimated all of us."

Rosalie fished her letter from the pocket of her jacket, letting it float down to sit with Bella's; everybody else followed with theirs. Once Archie had dropped his in and taken a big step backward, Emmett picked up the shovel and covered them all over as tears of relief and _finally, it's over_ tumbled over Bella and Rosalie's cheeks.

"It's done, Ro," Bella sniffled.

Nodding and dashing a tear from her cheek before it could fall on Xavier, Rosalie squeezed their fingers together. "It's done."

 **~ oOo ~**

After the emotional start to their trip, the group decided to take a walk around the lake. Callum and Chase jumped down from their parents' arms and joined the rest of the children running ahead. The guys ended up forming one group while Esme, Poppy, Rosalie, and Bella walked between them and the children; Heidi and Pippa needed to return to work, so they left after giving out tearful, proud hugs.

With the breeze in her hair and the sun kissing her skin, baby Xavier cooing beside her in Rosalie's arms as Esme fussed over him, nothing could have spoiled Bella's relaxed mood.

 _Except that._

"This is so beautiful, don't you think?" Charlie was saying as Bella missed a step ahead of him, clutching her bump with a muttered curse. "It's sunny, warm, and we've got the sounds of the stream and the birds…what's wrong, Bella? Why'd you stop?"

With fear freezing the blood in her veins and surprise slackening her jaw, Bella felt a sharp twinge tightening the skin of her stomach.

" _Oh, God…_ "

" _Mi amore?_ " Edward jogged to her, resting a hand on the small of her back as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face, his brows drawn inwards in a worried frown. "Are you okay?"

Charlie joined him, looking between his daughter's face and the hand resting atop her bump. "Bella?"

"That's not the stream you can hear, Dad," She told him in an almost-whine, his eyes following her gaze down...to the puddle spreading around her feet.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Okay, okay, everyone stop!" The doctor raised his hands, his eyes wide as he took in the gaggle of people rushing toward the doors to the maternity unit. " _Family only_ allowed in with the labouring mother."

Charlie and Archie exchanged a look, the latter stepping back to Poppy with a grin. "You go, Dad."

Bella clutched her father's hand and panted through the contraction she could feel starting. Edward stood on her other side. "Arch, do you mind…?"

Archie waved him off and scooped a squealing Bodhi from the floor, tossing him up over his shoulder; the little boy giggled and squirmed, peering around his uncle to offer his parents an upside-down grin.

"G-good luck, Mamma! Hurry up w-with my br-brother, 'kay?"

Bella laughed through her nose. "I'll try, baby boy."

"All right, let's get you settled," the doctor smiled, leading Bella, Edward, and Charlie through the doors. "The rest of you can wait in the waiting room if you want to stay."

In the thirty-five minutes between Bella's water breaking at the park and a midwife checking her once she was set up in a bed in her own private room at the hospital, she was already at five centimetres dilated.

"How did that happen?" Charlie breathed as he tugged at his moustache anxiously.

The midwife beamed, looking at Bella as she snapped off her gloves and tossed them in the trash. "You may have been dilating before your waters broke, Miss Swan. This is your third baby, correct? Were all your labours quick?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, third. Uh, my first was almost twenty-four hours, and I had a placental abruption with my second, so I had to have a C-section."

The midwife - Pamela, or Pam as she asked to be called - nodded sympathetically. "Wow, so fairly rough births so far. Hopefully, this little one will be easier on you. Everything looks great so far, so just keep doing what you're doing and don't be afraid to hit the 'call' bell if you need anything at all, all right?"

"Perfect, thank you." Bella managed a weak smile as Pam left the room, then she rolled her head on the pillow to face Edward.

His hair had been manhandled into a million different directions, the bronze strands sticking up all over the place as he chewed his lip and eyed her with worried jade eyes. "Why do _you_ look so terrified? You don't have to push out a twelve-pound baby."

Bella's attempt at drawing a smile from him was only partly successful; his lips curled on one side, and a dimple flashed briefly.

"Twelve pounds? You really think he's that big?"

Gazing down at herself with wide eyes, Bella gestured at the bump jutting up from her middle. "You _don't_? I'm guessing ten and a half, at least."

Charlie and Edward put in their bets - nine and eight pounds, respectively - before another contraction stole Bella's breath from her lungs.

Over the next few hours, Charlie and Edward swapped with the rest of the gang so everyone could spend a little time with Bella between contractions. When the evening drew near, Poppy took Carl-Roman, Chase, Callum, and Chloe home, and a short while later she was followed by Carlisle with his brood. Rosalie and Emmett insisted on staying in the waiting room with Esme, Marley, and Bodhi, just in case Bella or Edward needed them. Plus, Rosalie and Bella had always planned on having each other with them when they gave birth.

It was almost nine p.m. when Charlie kissed his daughter on the forehead and promised to look after Marley and Bodhi for the night.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella breathed, thoroughly exhausted by her efforts even though she'd been hovering at eight centimetres for several hours.

Turning to Edward with a wide grin, Charlie clasped his future son-in-law's shoulder and pulled him in for a hug. "Good luck, son." Whispering, he added, "You'll need it when she gets toward the end if she's anything like her mum."

Edward barked a laugh, smothering his grin when he saw Bella cock her head at him over Charlie's shoulder. "I'll bear that in mind, Chuck. Thanks."

Before they went home, the children insisted they were allowed to say 'bye' to their mamma; Charlie carried an already half-asleep Bodhi in with Marley close behind.

"S'he not here yet, Mamma?" Bodhi asked sleepily.

"Not yet, baby boy," Bella smiled. "Soon, hopefully, but you're going to go home and get some sleep at Pawpaw's house, okay? When you wake up, your brother will be here."

Rubbing his eyes with a balled-up fist, Bodhi nodded and rested his head on Charlie's shoulder. "M'kay, Mamma. _Ti amo_."

"I love you, too, baby." Gesturing for Marley to come closer, Bella heaved herself upright and cradled her daughter's face between her small palms. Marley chewed her lip, a furrow between her brows. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

"Does it hurt, Mamma? The baby trying to come out, I mean."

"A little," she told her honestly. "But it's worth it. When your little brother gets here, I'll forget all about it."

Appeased, Marley sighed and reached out to rest her hand on the bump which, soon, would no longer house her brother. "Be good for Mamma, little guy." Her eyes flicked up to Bella's. "She's the best mamma ever, so try and be gentle."

After giving her daughter a hard hug, Bella kissed both her babies before watching Charlie lead them out; Emmett was there to step inside as Charlie left.

"Hey, little Bella. I'm just heading out with Xave, but I thought I'd say 'bye' first."

"Sure, of course. Thanks for hanging around, Em."

Careful not to knock any of the wires, Emmett gave Bella a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Good luck, little mamma. If I don't see you before this little guy arrives, give him a squish from his Uncle Em, okay?"

Laughing softly, Bella nodded. "I will."

Emmett faced Edward, shaking his hand - one proud dad to another. "I'll see you on the flipside, man."

Once Emmett had gone, Rosalie took his place on one side of the bed while Edward took the other. They took turns coaching her through contractions throughout the night, alternating trips to the bathroom or to fetch ice chips to wet Bella's dry mouth.

Midnight came and went, the hours ticking by slowly between contractions.

 _One a.m..._

 _Two a.m..._

 _Three a.m…_

 _Three forty-two a.m…_

"Okay, Bella, it's time to push, honey. Are you ready?" Pam smiled encouragingly from the foot of the bed, giving Bella's foot a squeeze when she sucked in a breath and nodded.

"I think so."

"All right, Hubby, do you want to help hold this leg...perfect. When you feel that next contraction, Bella, bear down, all right?"

Pain infused every breath, every heartbeat a chore as Bella did as she was told and focused all her energy on pushing out her son.

At twenty-four minutes past four on May twentieth, that's exactly what she did.

" _Dio mio..._ my son…" Edward breathed, rushing toward Pam when she motioned him over and let him catch his newborn as Bella pushed him into the world. As Edward cradled the squirming, wriggling, slightly bloody boy, the baby let out an almighty squeal; his eyes opened wide and stared right at Edward as he took his first breaths. "Hey there, my boy," Edward chuckled tearfully, unable to brush away the tears tumbling over his cheeks and wholly unprepared for the overwhelming rush of emotions flooding his system.

 _Awe._

 _Love._

 _Pride._

Gazing up at Bella through tear-filled eyes, Edward breathed, "He's here, _mi amore_. He's here, and he's...he's so perfect. You did an amazing job, love."

Panting, Bella managed a smile as Rosalie leaned over to kiss her forehead.

Edward refused to let go of his son right away, so Rosalie had the pleasure of being allowed to cut the umbilical cord, but he begrudgingly handed the baby to the nurse to be weighed and dried so he wouldn't get cold.

Once he'd been wrapped in a blanket, Pam handed him back with a gleeful smile. "I think somebody would like to meet their mummy face-to-face for the first time."

Walking back around the bed with his son in his hands, Edward grinned lopsidedly at Bella and gently handed over their baby. "Here you go, Mamma."

Tears fell unabated over Bella's rosy cheeks as she gazed into the eyes of her baby, running her fingertips over his cheek and the sparse dusting of reddish-brown hair on his head.

Rosalie snorted. "He's gonna be a ginger, like you, Edward."

Far too happy to be affronted, Edward smirked. "Better a ginger than an oaf, like Emmett."

Shaking her head with a light laugh, Rosalie murmured, "Touché." Reaching out to stroke the baby's foot peeking out of his blanket, she murmured. "He's beautiful, Bella."

"He really is."

Bella knew a lot of mums felt this instantaneous love for their child; she also knew some didn't feel it right away, which was fine, too. Every person, every _parent_ , was different.

She was one of the first set of mums.

The torrential waterfall of emotions was terrifying in its intensity. This baby, this gorgeous little boy with scrunched up features and enormous jade eyes, had filled her to the brim with the same gooey love she felt every time Bodhi asked for smooches or Marley ran to her for cuddles.

Still just minutes old, the newborn stared wide-eyed into the camera so Edward could take his first photo and share it with the family. He paused over his nonna's number, opting to call her later, instead.

Within ten minutes, despite the early hour, his phone began pinging with congratulatory messages from everyone.

 _ **Chuck**_ _\- Another handsome chap. Well done, you two. Bella okay?_

 _ **Esme -**_ _Oh, Edward! He's gorgeous! I can't wait to smother his precious face in kisses. Give my love to Bella and that beautiful boy of yours. Congratulations, honey xxxxx_

 _ **Emmett**_ _\- Congrats, man. Give B a hug from me. Me and Xave will see you in the morning._

 _ **Carlisle**_ _\- I want to say something like 'this will be the making of you,' but I feel that would be a bit late. Marley and Bodhi were already the making of you. You've been a brilliant dad for a lot longer than that boy has been here. I can only hope to be as good of a parent as you are. Send my love to Bella and the baby and let us know if you need anything._

Edward choked up as he read Carlisle's message.

"What?" Bella asked, tearing her eyes away from her son's face. She, too, cried as she read the message from the man who, for all intents and purposes, had been Edward's father for a long time.

"Even now, after all this time, he doesn't realise how good of a father he is - how good of a father he's been."

"Well, tomorrow you can tell him."

Edward nodded, slipping his phone back into his pocket to focus on his fiancée and son.

 **~ oOo ~**

Several hours later, after a shower and a fresh set of clothes, Bella felt ready to introduce her son to his family. Edward drove home to freshen up and collect Charlie, Marley, and Bodhi, which left Bella alone with the baby for the first time since his birth; Rosalie had called a cab shortly after five and returned home to her husband and child.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, her baby boy snoozing in front of her, Bella couldn't help but sigh and consider how far she'd come. In a little over four years, she'd gone from a scared, twenty-one-year-old mother of one to a content, loved, safe mother of three.

She'd said goodbye to her past and buried all the bad that came with it. Some of her fears would never be laid to rest, but Bella had made her peace with that. She'd never be one of those parents who happily let her children play in the street or walk home from school alone, but Bella knew her sons and daughter would be loved, cherished, and cared for. They would be happy and safe from the threat of violence or captivity.

As she stroked her son's tiny hand resting on his chest, Bella wondered if the euphoria she felt was the same for every new mum. If the way her heart beat heavily even though she felt light and free was normal.

A gentle tap on the door preceded the arrival of Edward and the gang. He wore a wide, gorgeous, dimpled grin as he led Charlie, Marley, and Bodhi into the room.

"How are you doing, _mi amore_?"

"We're good," Bella smiled, her eyes on her two eldest children. "Come here, you two. I've got someone who's been waiting to meet you."

With wide eyes, Bodhi carefully climbed onto the bed beside Bella; Marley hurried around the bed to take her other side. "He's been waiting for us? Really?"

"Really," Bella promised, looping an arm around each of them. "So, guys, this is your baby brother." Raising her gaze to Edward's, which had clouded with tears, she added, "Enrico Carlisle Cullen."

"Enrico…" Marley murmured. "Like Nonno?"

"Yeah, little sweet, like Nonno."

Charlie squeezed Edward's shoulder. "A good, strong name. I like it."

"I do, too."

The adults laughed quietly at Marley's declaration, then turned their attention to Bodhi.

"What do you think, Bees?" Charlie asked.

Bodhi cocked his head to the side before leaning in to take a closer look. "Can I call him 'Rico' for short? Enrico Carlisle Cullen is kinda long."

Snorting, Bella gave her boy a squeeze. "Sure, you can call him 'Rico.'"

 **~ oOo ~**

The rest of the family were anxious to meet baby Enrico, but Bella's late-morning discharge meant they were happy to wait and meet him at home instead of in the hospital.

Edward had been hoping for this outcome, so he'd made sure to load up the car seat just in case; he was glad of his foresight, which saved him driving home to collect it.

With no complications and beaming smiles from the midwives who'd taken care of them overnight, Bella refused a wheelchair and walked carefully from the ward with Edward carrying Enrico in his car seat, Bodhi and Marley bickering over who got to walk next to him.

"Neither of you are walking next to him if you're going to argue like that. _I'll_ walk next to him," Charlie finally decided, much to the consternation of his grandson and granddaughter.

Once they were home, Edward set Enrico's carrier on the coffee table before letting the dogs in from the garden, where Charlie had shut them when he jogged in ahead to let the family get inside without being mauled by slobbery, waggy-tailed Dalmatians.

"All right, you two, gently now," Edward warned - more for Faith's benefit than Sammy's, seeing as he couldn't hear the warning anyway.

Much to everyone's relief, the dogs seemed more excited to see their little mistress and master - Marley and Bodhi - and ignored the baby sleeping happily on the coffee table. They'd had practice with Xavier, so nobody was overly worried.

After removing baby Enrico from his carrier and settling him in his mother's arms, Edward just about had time to snap a photo of Bella, Enrico, Marley, and Bodhi before there was a knock on the front door.

Over the course of the day, Edward and Bella welcomed all the familiar faces of their closest family.

Carlisle and Esme were first, both shedding a few tears when they held baby Enrico and heard his name.

Cradling Enrico in one arm and reaching out to clasp Edward's shoulder with the other, Carlisle sucked in a deep breath and blinked back his tears. "Papa would be so proud, son. It's an honour to be a part of this beautiful boy's name."

Rosalie and Emmett followed shortly after with Xavier.

Every phone in the house came out to snap photos of the two baby boys lying side-by-side on the blanket-covered coffee table, just five days apart in age.

Alice and Jasper arrived to meet both babies for the first time on their way to collect their own boys from school; Esme and Carlisle left with them to pick up Mitchell, Albie, James, William, Hunter, and Sophie, which left room for Archie, Poppy, and their four children.

"He's a bruiser, sis," Archie chuckled as he held his nephew, tilting him slightly so Carl-Roman, Chase, Callum, and Chloe could all get a look.

"Nine pounds, eleven ounces," Edward told him with a crooked grin as Chloe hissed and sent Bella a sympathetic look.

"Callum was nine-four; that was big enough."

"I was definitely thankful for the epidural, that's all I'll say on that subje—"

A knock at the door cut off what Bella was going to say. She eyed Edward as he frowned and headed to answer it, a smile taking over his face when he saw who was on the other side.

"Two surprise visits within a week? What have we done to deserve this?"

Riley offered him a shit-eating, mischievous smirk. " _You_ haven't done anything. Step aside, Cullen. It's the smallest Cullen I'm here to see."

Edward waved the FBI agent inside, following him into the living room where he was met with squeals of excitement from the kids and laughter from Bella, who had wondered how long he'd be able to keep away. After hugging each of the children as well as Bella, Rosalie, and Esme, Riley rubbed his hands together and trained his eyes on Enrico in Archie's arms.

"All right, Swan, hand him over."

Eyeing Edward with a smile, Bella said, "Yeah, Arch, you'd better let his godfather hold him…"

Riley froze, hands still together in the air in front of him as he peered at Bella. "What was that?"

"We'd like you to be Enrico's godfather, if you're willing," Edward told him, crossing the room to take Enrico from his uncle and press a kiss to his head. Edward breathed him in for a moment, revelling in the new-baby smell synonymous with newborns. Facing Riley, Edward raised his eyebrows. "So? You think you're up to the job, Yank?"

Nobody missed the tear in the corner of Riley's eye or the way he visibly steeled himself as pride lit his expression and his lips curled up.

"Damn straight, I am, Cullen. Hand that baby here. We need to have a chat about his future as my quarterback."

Warm and cosy in his godfather's arms, Enrico opened his big green eyes to gaze up at Riley, who couldn't stifle his smile if he tried. "Hey, buddy. Take a big look around, Enrico. This is it."

Riley gazed around at the family who'd adopted him and made him one of their own. The family who'd been so broken and bruised when he found them, but were now solid and whole; healthy and safe.

He looked at Rosalie and Emmett, their newborn son sleeping soundly in his mother's arms. When he first met her, Rosalie was a shell of a woman. Looking at her now, you'd never know.

As for Bella...Riley had to blink back an onslaught of tears. He'd never forget the first time he saw her, minutes after being pulled from the wreckage of the flaming motel room, even though it was now almost impossible to reconcile the two images of her.

Then and now…the same woman, but a million times stronger.

With a shake of his head and a heavy, content sigh, Riley returned his attention to Enrico, who waited patiently. "You've made it to the big leagues with this family, buddy."


	21. Epilogue

**In the words of Rachel Greene ala Friends 'I'm so  
** **happy and not at all jealous' of all you wonderful,  
lucky people at the Twi-Fic Meet-Up in Atlanta this  
weekend! ;)**

 **I hope you're all having an amazing time** — **you'd  
better all post squillions of pictures!**

 **Big thank yous to** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding  
 **for working their magic on this chapter. I've loved  
** **having you both along for the right with this story  
as well as its prequel. I can't quite believe this is the end...  
or is it?...**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella  
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally  
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the  
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy  
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still  
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't  
mean it can't catch up._

 **Promises to Keep**

 **Epilogue**

 _ **August 15th, 2020 - Italy**_

"I don't care what you say; this is freaky as heck. She's too calm."

"There's no such thing as 'too calm,' Rose, sweetheart."

"But look at her!"

Esme _was_ looking - with an ear-to-ear grin and tears gathering in her eyes.

Across the room, leaning against the wide window frame, Bella wore a soft smile as she gazed down at the garden below. Rosalie had already twisted her hair into an intricate braid that wrapped around the back of her head; pieces of baby's breath were wound between the thick strands and a few loose tendrils of her freshly dyed chocolate locks framed her face. Only lightly made up, she'd opted for the gentle, natural look with minimal mascara and only a sweep of a pale gold eyeshadow to make her azure eyes stand out.

As Rosalie said, Bella was almost eerily calm as she gazed at the men carrying chairs, vases, and swaths of fabric down the hill toward the rose garden. The other entrance was too narrow, so the people Edward had hired to set up had to do shuttle runs between the vans out front and the terrace attached to the rose garden, where, in just a short while, she and Edward would be married.

Her eyes danced down to the ring sparkling on her left hand. It still dazzled her every time she looked at it.

 _Soon, there'll be two rings there…_

Finding one to sit nicely with her engagement ring had been a trial, but they'd finally settled on a simple, plain, white gold band to match the thick, brush-effect one Edward had chosen.

A gentle tap at the door preceded the arrival of Bella's flower girl and page boys.

Marley led the way, of course, followed by Bodhi - Carlisle brought up the rear with baby Enrico in his arms.

"Mamma, Daddy looks _so_ handsome!" Marley sighed as Esme tucked her against her side.

She'd been allowed to choose her own flower girl dress - within reason, of course - and had opted for a beautiful, high-low dress with a grey satin bow around the waist and short chiffon sleeves in white, to match the lace-detail bodice. The back was fastened with buttons around a heart-shaped cutout. The skirt was the same cornflower blue as the boys' bowties and Rosalie's bridesmaid dress. It also had a layer of light chiffon to lend the dress an airy feel.

With her hair arranged in the same style as Bella's, a light coat of lip gloss on her lips and a natural, rosy glow to her cheeks, Marley looked eons older than her tender nine years.

"I'm sure he does," Bella murmured with an even broader smile as she crouched to adjust Bodhi's blue bowtie. He looked adorably handsome in his bowtie and a royal blue waistcoat with matching shorts, courtesy of Esme's tailoring skills; trousers would have been too hot for an energetic little boy running around in the height of Italy's summer. The brown leather shoes on his feet would likely be abandoned as soon as the photos had all been taken.

Fussing from Carlisle's arms pulled Bella to her feet. She adjusted her robe and felt her lips curling up as Carlisle handed over her son. At five days short of three months old, Enrico was too young for a real suit, so Bella had picked a short-sleeved, white linen shirt, a bowtie to match the one Bodhi wore with suspenders in the same shade of cornflower blue, and a pair of royal blue cotton shorts. With no use for shoes, his tiny feet were left bare.

"Hi there, baby boy," she cooed, brushing his unruly hair away from his eyes. At not even three months old, Enrico had more hair than either of his older siblings at this age. From the rusty tint as the sun caught the strands to his wide, emerald eyes, Enrico was Edward's double.

"He's just had his bottle, and I changed him before we came up," Carlisle told her, ruffling Bodhi's hair as he looped an arm around Esme.

"Perfect. Then should be happy as can be for the next few hours. He had an amazing night's sleep."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "Es said he slept right through…"

Pride warmed Bella as she snuggled her baby boy and pressed a kiss on his forehead. "He did, indeed. I gave him his last bottle at quarter to ten, and he didn't wake me up until quarter to six."

Bored of the conversation, Bodhi tugged his mamma's robe. "Mamma, how come we're all dressed up, and you're in your robe?"

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, and Bella laughed; Bodhi's ears flushed pink.

"Oh, sweet boy, I'm going to put something else on." Glancing at the clock - _an hour to go_ \- Bella looked at Rosalie and Esme with the first hint of nervousness flashing in her eyes. "Actually, I'd better start getting changed."

Carlisle gathered up the kids and promised to keep them all clean now that he knew they were dressed to their mother's satisfaction, leaving Esme and Rosalie to help her out of her robe and into her wedding dress.

She held her breath and closed her eyes as they slipped it down over her head, only breathing out once Rosalie had fastened the buttons at the back.

 _Oh…_

Tears filled Bella's eyes as she gazed at herself in the full-length mirror. She'd only tried on two dresses before finding this one. It was The One. She'd known instinctively that no other would compare.

It had a sweetheart neckline, thin straps, and delicate, floral lace embroidery spreading down over her bodice before tapering out. The crepe material sheath dress clung to her hips, then cascaded down to the floor. Turning slightly, she smiled at the lace train as Esme fanned it outward. The pattern climbed the back of her dress in a thin column to join the sheer lace back portion of the gown. It dipped low, almost to the base of her spine, while still keeping her modesty.

The soft material was heaven against her skin, the perfect fit flattering the slight curves left behind by her pregnancy. With her hair mostly up, her slender neck was exposed, revealing the white gold locket Bella never removed. Reaching up, Bella realised her hand was trembling as she stroked the necklace containing a picture of her mother.

 _I wish you were here for this, Mum. You'd love Edward, and I know you'd adore Marley, Bodhi, and Enrico._

"Oh, B…" Rosalie trailed off, tears clouding her eyes. "You look amazing."

Bella's smile trembled as she spun, clasping Rosalie's hands in hers. Her best friend, her _sister_ , looked gorgeous in the dress she'd chosen. It, too, was a sheath dress with thin straps. The majority of the fabric was cornflower blue, and like Bella's gown, the bodice was embroidered with white lace, which ended above a thin band around her waist.

"Thanks, Ro. You look beautiful, too."

Both young women startled at the sudden flash.

Esme beamed tearfully, lowering her camera. "I couldn't resist. You both look stunning. Your boys aren't going to know what to do with themselves when they see you."

As Rosalie smoothed the fabric of her dress, Bella sighed and reached out to adjust a lock of Rosalie's hair. Brushing her shoulder, Bella was thrown back to January, four years ago.

 _Scarlett fixed sea-blue-green eyes on Rosalie's teary blue, clasping her bare shoulders gently, the red straps of the camisole she was wearing having slipped down to hang against her upper arms._

" _You're with me, and you're okay."_

Falling out of the memory with a silent gasp, Bella bit her lip. _We've come so far._

"All right," Rosalie inhaled deeply, smiling as she straightened. "Are you ready? It'll take us a little bit to get there, so we may as well head down."

"Okay, yeah. Let's go." Although outwardly calm, Bella's pulse began to race. Not because she was nervous or had cold feet, but because the time between now and the moment she'd be married to her beloved still seemed so far away. It just couldn't come quickly enough.

After slipping her feet into a pair of white ballet flats, with Esme trailing behind to make sure she didn't tread on her train, Bella led the women out of the bedroom she shared with Edward. They found Carlisle and Charlie in the living room with Marley, Bodhi, and Enrico.

All eyes turned to Bella as she appeared in the doorway, a flush rising to the apples of her cheeks at the intense scrutiny.

"Oh, Bella," Charlie croaked.

Warmth infused Bella's cheeks as she smoothed a hand over her stomach. "What do you think? Will I do?"

Charlie chuckled as he crossed the room, reverently cupping his daughter's face. "If that boy out there doesn't look at you like you've hung the moon and every single damn star in the sky, we're going to have words."

Esme joined her husband as Marley and Bodhi fussed over their mamma. "I have every faith Edward will appreciate how beautiful she looks as soon he sees her," she promised with a wink.

"Mamma, this is so pretty," Marley breathed, stroking the detail around her mother's waist.

"It matches the lace on yours."

Beaming, Marley touched the lace on her own dress. "I didn't notice that before!"

A soft rap on the door prompted excited smiles all around. Charlie nipped out to speak to Emmett, who'd been sent to tell them they were ready down in the rose garden.

Stepping back inside, Charlie grinned. "It's time, Bella."

Obviously, baby Enrico was unable to walk himself down the aisle, so Rosalie took him from Carlisle and couldn't help but return his gummy smiles.

Carlisle and Esme each kissed Bella on the cheek before hurrying outside, leaving just Charlie and the bridal party. Sucking in a deep breath, Bella managed a tremulous smile for her children. "All right, you two. Are you ready? You're going to—"

"We're going to walk in front of Auntie Rose and Rico, Mamma, we know. We've practiced, remember?" Marley informed her cheekily, her big azure eyes twinkling with mischief and excitement.

"All right, sassy pants."

Soft, muffled music began to play outside. Rosalie gathered the trio of bouquets from the end table; Bella's was only marginally larger than Marley and Rosalie's. They were made up of small sunflowers, white roses, and baby's breath, cornflower blue ribbons holding the stems together. Bella felt her entire body tensing as she followed Rosalie and the children out of the doors and toward the winding path that led to the rose garden.

They could have gone through the kitchen, which would have brought them right out at the rose arches, but they'd opted to take the slightly longer route so they would have a little aisle for the children and Rosalie to walk down while Bella was out of sight.

It was early afternoon, so the brilliant Italian sun shone down through the boughs of the trees leading to the rose garden, dappled sunlight casting patterns over Bella's dress as she watched her feet while they walked. Marley and Bodhi whispered excitedly up ahead, Rosalie gently telling them when to quiet as they approached the first of eight arches. The white roses were in full bloom, the light breeze carrying their fragrant scent to Bella.

Shooting one last smile back at Bella, Rosalie urged the children onward, following several seconds later.

Bella peered up at her dad, frowning when she found tears spilling over his cheeks as he looked back at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Charlie sighed with a nostalgic upward curl of his lips. "My baby girl is all grown up, that's all. Let your old dad have a little cry about it, okay? I'm sure you'll be the same when it's your little ones."

Bella managed a smirk. "You think Edward is going to let them get married? Any of them? He doesn't see Bodhi and Rico any different from Marley. They're all his babies, and none of them are ever getting married, according to him."

Reaching up to smooth his moustache and dash away his tears, Charlie harrumphed. "Don't you think I said the same thing? You were never getting married, either, and here I am giving you away."

As the music segued into something softer, something gentle and sweet and undoubtedly Edward's handiwork, Charlie offered his daughter his arm; Bella took it and twined their fingers together, giving them a squeeze.

"Let's go, baby girl. Let's get you your man."

Everything in her world, everything that had ever been wrong or bad, fell away as Bella began walking. Every step felt like a mile further away from the horrors of her past.

It was liberating.

Finally, _finally_ , they turned the corner and stepped beneath the first of the eight, rose-covered arches. The gardeners Edward hired, and Nonna Contessa had overseen, had worked wonders on the garden, bringing it to life while rearranging it slightly to make room for the almost, forty guests here for the wedding. The back row of seats was in line with the fourth arch, but Bella felt their stares and heard their hushed awe as she and Charlie made their way toward them.

Sucking in a deep breath, Bella forced her gaze up; she gasped at the view. A sea of familiar, much-loved faces stared back at her, tears in many of their eyes above wide smiles.

 _Uncle Eleazer and Aunt Carmen with Mike, Angela, and Eric - Bella's oldest two cousins, Tanya and Jessica, and their families couldn't make it, but had sent their well-wishes._

 _Jasper, Alice, Clarke, and Dave._

 _Peter with Pippa, Heidi, and their respective fiancés, Shane and Harvey._

 _Alyssa with little Riley._

 _Archie, Poppy, Carl-Roman, Chase, Chloe, and Callum._

 _Carlisle and Esme with Mitchell, Albie, James, William, Hunter, and Sophie - who was standing on her chair to see better._

 _Nonna Contessa, with Antonio and Amy..._

Much to Bella's pleasure, Edward's parents had made the effort to attend the wedding. They were relatively blank-faced compared to Nonna's beaming, tearful smile, but they were there to support their son. That was what mattered.

Then, as she rounded the fountain, Bella caught sight of the group gathered ahead in front of the arbour seat.

Marley, now cradling her baby brother Enrico, and Bodhi - her gorgeous little angels; the lights of her life and the very best things to ever happen to her. Without each of them, Bella wasn't sure where she'd be.

More grown-up today than ever, Marley had gotten her through the hardest time in her life. She'd been the ray of sunshine to guide both Bella and Rosalie through years of heartbreak and captivity. Even at just nine years old, she'd proven herself a strong, amazing little girl. Every day she showed just how brave she was. Bella couldn't be more proud of how far her once silent, fearful little girl had come.

Bodhi...sweet, cheeky Bodhi...he'd saved Bella from falling into depression after their escape from the ranch. It was his existence, the realisation that he lived inside of her, that had prompted her determination to get herself together. His slow, sweet, sassy smiles were brighter than the sun and absolutely his best feature.

Then there was Enrico, babbling away in his big sister's arms. In a way, his birth had heralded her rebirth as a mother and the beginning of a beautiful new life. Unlike his older siblings, Enrico was very much adored by _both_ parents from the second they knew of his existence. In so many ways, he was their fresh start.

Beside them, Rosalie used her free hand to dash tears from her cheeks; Xavier babbled happily in the cradle of her other arm as Emmett reached over to stroke his son's hair, his lazy grin a mile wide as he held his wife and watched Bella walk toward them with tears gathering in his own grey-blue eyes.

Without Emmett, without his quick thinking and resilience, Bella and Rosalie might have died on that ranch, and nobody would ever have been any the wiser. For that, and for so many other things - not least Rosalie's happiness - Bella owed him so much more than she could ever give.

As her eyes shifted to the suit-clad form on the other side of the aisle, Bella was thrown back in time - to a period she didn't like to think about if she could help it.

 _The acrid smoke burned her lungs and throat, and the warmth of the body wrapped around her coupled with the midday sun proved stiflingly hot; Bella clung on tighter, hearing the motel crumbling and burning behind her._

I remember you. I remember you.

 _She chanted it silently against Edward's chest. Her voice wouldn't work, but her mind couldn't stop twisting and turning with random thoughts; snapshots of memories and faces._

 _Fire._

 _Smoke._

 _Rose._

 _Marley._

 _Edward…_

 _Then, a deep voice. "Is she okay? The EMTs are waiting."_

 _Bella peeled her face away from Edward's chest to peer up at the imposing form crouching in front of her. He had sandy brown hair and ice blue eyes. His smile was kind even though his thick brows were furrowed._

 _The FBI shield he wore around his neck told Bella she was safe, but she instinctively huddled closer to Edward._

" _I'll keep hold of her for now, Riley. I don't think she's going to let go." Edward's voice was a low rumble against her ear; it was soothing._

 _Riley. Did he find us?_

 _It wasn't until much later that Bella would discover just how big a part Riley had played in her rescue._

Four years later, there Riley stood as one of Edward's two best men - Emmett being the second.

When planning the wedding, asking Riley to stand up with him was one of the few decisions that needed no real thought; it was a given. Without Riley, without the hard work he'd put in to track down Bella and Rosalie, none of this would be happening. He was so much more than an FBI agent. He was family. And when they returned to England in September, he would become baby Enrico's godfather.

Looking handsome and regal as ever, Riley wore a royal blue suit and an ear-to-ear grin as he shot Bella a wink before murmuring something to Edward that looked a lot like 'she's stunning.'

Everything seemed to come to a standstill as Bella's gaze slid over to find Edward. His unruly mane stuck up in every direction and shone a burnished bronze while his soft, dimpled smile filled Bella to the brim with love and awe.

 _He's mine. This perfect man is standing there, handsome as ever, waiting for me. He's all mine, and he's about to become my husband._

A bolt of nerves shot down Bella's spine as his eyes raked over her; it disappeared as quickly as it had come when his eyes found hers once more. His emerald gaze glistened with adoration.

"You look beautiful," he mouthed, eliciting sighs and a ripple of "awws" from their gathered family.

Everything melted away as Bella and Charlie reached Edward. She saw only him as her dad kissed her cheek, took her bouquet, and slipped out of the way to stand with Riley. She watched Edward murmur "Thank you, Chuck" and felt her chest expand with a content sigh.

He was beyond handsome. He wore a crisp white shirt under a royal blue waistcoat and matching trousers. His tie was cornflower blue, and on his feet, he had the same brown leather shoes as Bodhi. At Bella's insistence, he'd forgone shaving for the past couple of days, so he had a healthy growth of stubble over his jaw; Bella forced herself to resist stretching up to feel it against her cheek.

The celebrant, a petite, forever-smiling lady by the name of Kate, was beaming as she gently cleared her throat to get their attention. "Are we ready?"

Bella and Edward looked into each other's eyes for a long moment before joining hands and facing Kate, nodding in unison.

Kate's smile widened. "Perfect." Speaking a little louder, she addressed everyone. "Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it forever. You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage, and when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right?"

There were titters of laughter from the guests.

Looking between Edward and Bella, Kate continued with a twinkle in her eyes. "But we do it because, despite all our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier - our one universal truth. No matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing - love is what we're doing right. That's why you're both standing here today, and why you're all here to watch them stand up here with me.

We've all loved in our lifetimes, be it a mother, brother, friend, or significant other. At this moment, we're reminded that the ability and need to love is the very best part of our humanity. All of us here have our own love stories. They're all different, but they're all perfect in their own way. Some are short, some are long. Some are yet unwritten…"

Bella couldn't help but let her eyes flick to Riley; his gaze was focused somewhere behind her.

 _On Alyssa, I bet._

"...while others are just getting to the good part. There are chapters in all of our stories that are sad or disappointing, and others that are exciting, and full of adventure."

Kate reached out to take one of Bella's hands and one of Edward's in hers. Her grey-blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears as she squeezed their fingers. She'd been a long-time friend of Edward's grandparents and had jumped at the chance to perform their wedding for them. Bella liked her from the very first moment they met her. Now, as Kate spoke words which would lead to their vows, Bella could see the pride shining in her eyes as she looked between her and Edward, continuing in Italian-accented English.

"You two have overcome significant hurdles and fought courageous battles to bring us to this day. You've proven your love and your commitment to each other, as well as to your family, and have chosen to include all of us in this momentous and joyous occasion. And even though this day, this experience, is so incredible, words will fail you when you look back and try to explain it. That's just the way love is - it's meant to be felt, not described. We use the words we have to write stories, poems, and songs about love. Even though we try to describe it in a million different ways, and even though it looks different from one person to the next, we all know it when we see it.

And we see it here, today."

Unlike Rosalie and Emmett's wedding, there were no readings or poems. Instead, Bella and Edward had opted to write their own vows. As Edward fished his from the pocket of his trousers and Charlie passed Bella hers, they sucked in deep breaths and flashed nervous smiles at each other.

Edward went first. Clearing his throat, he reached out to hold Bella's hand; the hand holding his vows remained steady. "Bella, when I found you, I had no idea I was doing anything but rescuing my childhood friend. It took me too long to realise it, but I was actually saving myself when I carried you out of that motel room four years ago. I thought I was happy here with my work, and my music, but I didn't even know the meaning of the word until I found you. You've taught me more about strength, courage, and love than I ever thought possible. _Mi amore_ , you're beauty, fire, and grace, and I could never ask for a better mother for our children. I hope one day I'll prove myself worthy of being your husband and father to our babies, but in the meantime, I want you to know I love you more than anything, and I'm so grateful to - _almost_ \- be able to call you my wife."

Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks as she gratefully accepted the handkerchief her dad held out to her. _How do I follow that?_

"Jesus, Edward," she sniffled, flushing at the soft, tearful laughter of her family. Glancing around, there were only a few dry eyes left.

" _Ti amo, mi amore_ ," he mumbled, reaching up to brush a tear from the apple of her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

Steeling herself, Bella glanced at the vows she'd written before passing them back to her dad. "I tried to write down how I feel about you more than a hundred times, but I realise now that it was pointless. Nothing I wrote is enough. There aren't enough words to describe how you've made me feel like the strongest, most invincible woman on the planet even when I've questioned my own vulnerability or wondered how I'd ever be able to carry on. I couldn't find the words to tell you how much it kills me that we missed out on so many years of each other's lives, even though those missing years brought us together in the end."

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Bella tried to gather her thoughts. "Edward, your love, your patience and kindness and ability to knit all my broken parts back together when even I thought it was a waste of time...you _healed_ me when no medicine could come close. Neither of us are perfect on our own, but together, we're perfectly imperfect. A long time ago, I asked you to make me a promise. Do you remember?"

Grinning even as tears gathered in his eyes, Edward nodded.

" _If you promise to keep me brave, I'll promise to keep you whole_ ," Bella recited with a sigh. "You told me it's a promise to keep, but that you would have done it anyway, with or without it. So this is me, promising to love you with every fibre of my being and every beat of my heart for the rest of our lives, Edward. I promise to be brave and to help you be brave, too. And I promise to keep you whole so we can be the best partners for each other and the best parents for our children."

Before anyone could say another word, Edward threw tradition out of the window and dipped down to catch Bella's lips in a gentle, tender kiss. Sucking first her bottom lip, then the top, into his mouth, he hummed and cradled the back of her head for a moment before it was over.

Blinking like a wide-eyed owl, Bella found herself rosy-cheeked and deliciously warm from the inside-out as she stared up at an impishly grinning Edward.

"I...ah…"

"Okay," Kate laughed. "Shall we move on to the reading?"

Edward and Bella joined hands, the groom winking at his bride as she tried to calm her racing heart. "On this day, I give you my heart, my promise that I will walk with you, hand-in-hand, wherever our journey leads us. Living, learning, loving - together, forever."

"Do we have the rings?"

"Oh, that's my job!" Bodhi cried, much to the delight of the onlookers. His ears flushed pink as he fished the rings from the little fabric bag in his pocket, handing them to his daddy with a proud grin.

Carefully holding Edward's ring halfway down his ring finger, Bella repeated after Kate.

"I, Isabella Swan, give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore."

As she slid the ring home, a deep sense of relief spread through her body. _He's mine._

Next, it was Edward's turn, his voice strong and sure.

"I, Edward Cullen, give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

As Kate spoke her closing words, Bella and Edward lost themselves in each other. Their eyes, emerald to sea-blue, filled with tears as the weight of what they'd done began to sink in.

 _We're married. I'm a wife. I'm_ Edward's _wife…_

" _Ti amo_ ," he whispered, glancing Kate's way before cupping Bella's face and leaning in to capture her lips in a fiery, possessive kiss. Only the sound of their children giggling and their family laughing behind them broke them apart.

"I love you, Hubs."

"And I love you, Wifey."

The end of the ceremony was a blur. Edward and Bella led the way back through the rose arches to the pool, leaving their guests to make their way to the terrace where they'd enjoy a feast and spend the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Edward and Bella let the gentle lapping of the water and the rustle of the trees soothe their wild emotions.

"I love you." They were the only words Bella could think to say as they rested their foreheads together, her hands on his chest over his heart as it thumped away.

" _Ti amo tanto, mi amore._ "

A soft breeze caressed them as they embraced, content to stand together and bask in the joy of their union.

"We're married, Hubs," Bella finally breathed, tears pricking her eyes. "We did it."

Edward gave her a squeeze and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We did it, _mi amore_. You're my wife." Pulling back to cradle her face, he stared into her eyes with such intensity, love, and overwhelmingly adoration that Bella couldn't hold back the flood any longer; she was suddenly thankful for Rosalie's foresight in using waterproof mascara.

" _Mi amore_ , my beautiful Mrs. Cullen, _finally_."

 **~ oOo ~**

The team Edward hired had done a fantastic job turning the terrace into a gorgeous reception venue.

A collection of mismatched tables had been pushed together into a line, odd seats and benches lining the sides. White table runners spread the length of them with clear glass wine bottles acting as candle holders and smaller mason jars holding flowers to match the bouquets.

Edward and Bella's seats were in the centre, but everyone else had carte blanche to sit where they liked; the children gathered mostly at one end, the adults at the other. With the exception of the babies, anyway - Xavier was cradled in his father's arms while Esme didn't hesitate to steal away her honorary grandson, Enrico, for snuggles while his parents relaxed.

In lieu of having to worry about burdening their guests with the task, Edward had hired a local catering company to provide and serve a tapas feast and enough wine, prosecco, and beer to ensure nobody went hungry or thirsty. There was also a table with three large, glass drinks dispensers filled with lemonade, juice, and water for the children or anyone who didn't want to drink alcohol.

Once everyone had a glass in front of them and a smile on their face, Charlie got to his feet and clinked his glass with a spoon, clearing his throat loudly when the table didn't immediately hush. "I'm trying to do a speech here, people," he grumbled, shooting Bella a wink.

"Get on with it then, Unc!" Eric, Bella's cousin, yelled cheekily from the other end of the table, eliciting snickers from the rest of the guests.

After shaking a fist at his guffawing nephew, Charlie took a big chug from his chilled beer before huffing and setting it back on the table with a quiet thump. The sun beat down on him and caught the grey hairs at his temples. He'd aged gracefully over the past few years, his birthday earlier bringing a decidedly handsome set of laugh lines and a sprinkling of grey through his beard and hair.

 _No wonder Renee has a crush on him,_ Bella thought with glee, promising herself that she'd double her matchmaking efforts once they were home. Her dad had been alone long enough; he deserved to be happy.

As he gazed down at her, Bella reached out to hold his hand. Her rings clinked against his - the ring her mother put on his finger on this day exactly forty-two years ago.

"When Bella was small, her mother and I used to talk about this day. I was always adamant my baby girl would never get married, but Penny…" Charlie trailed off, his eyes far away as he remembered his late wife. "Penny made me promise three things. The first was that I'd make sure any guy lucky enough to get this far with our girl was worthy of being in her life."

Squeezing his daughter's hand, he looked over her at Edward. "I think we can safely say I kept that promise. There's no other man out there I'd trust with my Bella. Edward, you've been my son for a lot longer than you've been Bella's husband. I hope you know that."

Edward stood with tear-filled eyes, stepping around Bella to hug his father-in-law before sitting and squeezing Bella's hand hard.

"The second thing was that I'd walk Bella down the aisle. I can tick off that one, too."

Blowing out a long breath, he blinked to clear suddenly misty eyes. "The third was that I'd always protect her and keep her safe, so that one dayshe'd be able to walk down the aisle with me at her side and already have a high standard for her new husband to keep. Baby girl, I'm sorry I didn't always keep that one, but I hope you'll still keep Edward on his toes for the duration of your lives together."

A ripple of tearful chuckles spread through the adults - the kids, too interested in each other and the colouring mats - while Bella stood and rested a hand on her dad's chest, right over his thundering heart.

"Daddy," she whispered. "None of it was your fault. I don't know if I ever told you that, but it wasn't. You _did_ protect me, by teaching me how to be strong and brave, and by teaching me that the bad guy always loses in the end. All those nights of 'one more fairy tale' paid off."

Choked up and unable to speak, Charlie pulled his daughter into his arms instead. They held each other for a long time, finally peering at each other with watery smiles.

"I love you, Dad."

Charlie's moustache twitched as he reached up to thumb away a tear on her cheekbone. "I love you, too, baby girl. Always and forever."

The rest of the speeches were much lighter and drew laughs from everyone. Emmett regaled the group with tales of Edward's nerves in the weeks leading up to his proposal, even though Emmett hadn't known about his plans. He also told everyone about the lovesick way Edward had behaved after Bella's first 'I love you.'

Meanwhile, Edward buried his face in Bella's neck and nibbled her lightly whenever she giggled at his expense.

By the time Edward stood, he'd rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and unbuttoned the top button, loosening his tie slightly. The weeks they'd spent in Italy in preparation for the wedding had turned his naturally olive skin a much deeper shade of tan, and his slightly tipsy grin couldn't have been wider if he tried as he gazed down at his new wife.

"Bella, _mi amore,_ I had the privilege of knowing you as a baby, a happy-go-lucky child, then the strong, courageous, _beautiful_ mother you'd become. I've seen you flourish and grow, and I've loved every second, but nothing beats seeing you now, sitting here beside me in that stunning dress, as _my wife._ I tried to find some sort of poem to describe how I feel about you, but I couldn't find anything that said it better than _ti amo_ , and I'll love you until my last breath, _mi amore_."

Looking around at his family and friends as they stood with their drinks, Edward raised his glass. "To Bella."

Once everyone had taken their seats, Bella sucked in a deep breath and surprised Edward by standing.

"Two special little people actually have something to say, well, to _ask_. Marley, Bodhi?"

The children hurried to join their mamma and daddy, shooting Edward impish grins when he cocked his head and asked what they were up to.

"We've been scheming, Daddy. Right, Mamma?"

With a tearful giggle, Bella nodded and stroked her son's hair. "Right, sweet boy. Ah, Dad, have you got that...thank you."

Charlie handed over the envelope she'd asked him to hang onto earlier in the morning, curiosity shining in his gaze because even he didn't know what was inside.

Blowing out a breath, Bella faced her husband and passed the envelope to the children. They joined hands and stood in front of Edward, all eyes trained on the little family.

"Daddy," Marley began softly, a smile in her voice. "The first time I saw you, you had this sorta scared look on your face, but when you saw me, you smiled _so big_. I'd never seen anyone smile so wide before. You always tell me you loved me right from the start, but I never told you...I loved you right from the start, too."

"Little sweet…" Edward croaked, dashing tears from his cheeks. "Of course, I loved you. How could I not? You're my little sweet, my little angel."

"I love you, Daddy." Still holding Bodhi's hand, she threw her free arm around his neck, sniffling into his shoulder as he stroked her hair and tried to regain control of his emotions.

Bella fought tears and a tremulous smile as she watched Bodhi visibly square his little shoulders; he hated speaking in front of crowds.

Stepping back, Marley gave her brother an encouraging squeeze.

"Daddy, I may not have your eyes or your smile, but I'm really glad you call me your child." Bodhi recited the poem he'd been learning for the last few weeks, his little voice shaky as he cocked his head like an adorable puppy and held out the envelope, waiting until Edward had opened it and read the card inside before shooting a look up at Marley.

They spoke in unison, Bella losing the battle against her tears as they asked, "We'd love to be able to call you 'Daddy' officially. Will you adopt us?"

Edward's mouthed _cazzo_ elicited tearful chuckles from all those close enough to see it. He tossed the card on the table and slid off his chair, pulling Marley and Bodhi into his arms as he peppered their faces with kisses.

"I'd be honoured. Nothing would make me happier than to be your dad in every way."

 **~ oOo ~**

As the sun began to set, Edward and Bella took to the centre of the terrace for their first dance. Their loved ones formed a circle around them, smiles on their faces and love imbuing the balmy evening air.

" _One look at you, my whole life falls in line.  
I prayed for you, before I called you mine.  
Oh, I can't believe it's true, sometimes.  
Oh, I can't believe it's true._

 _I get to love you.  
It's the best thing that I'll ever do.  
I get to love you.  
It's a promise I'm making to you._

 _Whatever may come, your heart I will choose.  
Forever I'm yours, forever I do.  
I get to love you, I get to love you."_

Resting her cheek against Edward's chest, his waistcoat long-gone and his tie loosened, Bella released a long, content sigh.

Four years ago, she'd never have believed this would be her reality. She'd have laughed if anyone tried to tell her she'd be a married mother of three just months after her twenty-fifth birthday; that she'd have her own home and a large, extended family who doted upon her and her children.

As Edward led her in a slow dance, their friends and family watching, Bella finally felt it sink in. She finally let her mind accept what her heart had been telling her all along - _I deserve this_.

All the trials, all the pain, heartbreak, and despair...it was worth it. Those years on the ranch were the worst of her life, without a doubt, but they brought her here, to this moment, and to Edward.

Bella couldn't bring herself to regret any of it as she felt her husband's heart thumping against her cheek; as she inhaled his aftershave and felt his fingers stroking the skin just above the back of her dress.

"You're stunning, _mi amore_ ," he murmured, brushing a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Ditto, Hubs." Peering up at his blissful, dimpled smile, Bella couldn't resist stretching up to plant a quick kiss on his chin. "I love you, Mr. Cullen."

"And I, you, Mrs. Cullen." Tears gathered on his lashes as he heaved a silent sigh and rested his forehead against hers. "Little sweet and _tesoro_...they really want this?"

There was no need to clarify what he meant by 'this.' Smiling and cupping his jaw, Bella nodded. "They want to be Cullens, like us, and like Rico. They just want to be _yours_. They told you it was their idea, didn't they?"

Edward nodded, blinking the glassiness from his emerald eyes. "Little sweet said she asked you, yeah. I just...I can't believe my luck. Not only do I have the most gorgeous, courageous wife, I have three caring, sweet, beautiful children."

Several weeks before they flew out to Italy, Bodhi had asked his mamma why he and Marley had a different last name from their baby brother. It had taken a long discussion to explain that they had a different biological father than baby Enrico. They'd planned for this eventuality, so they had books on how to explain the situation to children and had researched on the right way to tell them about different kinds of parentage. Marley understood more than her little brother, and her parents knew she'd have more questions once their basic explanation had sunk in, but she and Bodhi seemed content to accept the promise that, different surnames or not, Edward would never see them as anything other than his babies - just like Enrico.

In the days afterward, Marley _had_ come to her mother with more questions. She'd asked if they knew the man who'd helped create her and Bodhi. Deprived of sleep after being up with Enrico most of the night, Bella's slack-jawed expression and wide eyes had been enough of an answer for her intuitive daughter. Despite that, Marley had nodded and hugged her mamma, thanking her for bringing Edward into their lives; needless to say, more than a few tears were shed that day, especially when Bella told Edward about the conversation when they were curled up in bed together after tucking in their children.

A week passed before Marley and Bodhi came to Bella with a statement and a request.

" _We want to be Cullens. Please, can Daddy gives us his name, too, like he's giving it to you?"_

Again, Bella cried. But this time, she kept the conversation to herself. Keeping it a secret until the children could ask Edward at the reception had been torture, but the look on Edward's face and the bliss he was emanating now...it was so worth it.

"How many children do you want?" Bella asked as they swayed together, her eyes finding Marley, Bodhi, and Riley as the FBI agent grinned and accepted Enrico from Charlie's arms.

Edward hummed thoughtfully, resting his cheek against the crown of her head. "I've always liked even numbers."

Bella's lips curled upward. "Oh, you have, huh? So, one more?"

"Definitely one more." Edward paused. "How do you feel about maybe two or three more? You know, to round it up to six. Six was always a good number for us when we were kids."

As her heart took off at a semi-sprint, thoughts of three more pregnancies and three more newborns flying through her head, Bella felt Edward shaking with repressed laughter. Lightly slapping his chest, she breathed out a long sigh. " _One_ more, Hubs. Four is enough. Besides, we don't have room for more than that. Rico would have to share with a new baby or Bodhi as it is."

They lapsed into silence, content to listen to the swish of the trees, the soft music serenading them, and the joyous, relaxed chatter of their nearest and dearest. Bella watched from her husband's arms as Alyssa and Little Riley, as he'd been nicknamed to stop confusion, joined Riley, Enrico, Marley, and Bodhi. It was easy to see the infatuation growing between Riley and Alyssa. As the children cooed over the baby, their eyes repeatedly sought each other, their body language relaxed but somehow yearning.

Bella silently promised to give Riley a nudge when she was back home after the summer; it was about time he made a move and gave Alyssa something more than the phone calls and texts she admitted they'd shared in recent months.

It was about time he got his happily ever after - Alyssa and Little Riley, too.

 _Speaking of stubborn men who needed nudging…_

"All right, son. My turn," Charlie cut in with a grin and a man-hug for his son-in-law, beaming at his daughter once he had her in his arms; Edward set off in search of Nonna Contessa to give her a twirl around the terrace. Bella watched him approach his parents and Nonna and smiled at the pleased look on her face as her grandson gently tugged her away from Antonio and Amy.

 _To be fair, I'd want to be saved from the sour-faced pair, too,_ Bella admitted to herself with a hint of guilt.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she asked her dad, distracting herself from her grumpy mother- and father-in-law.

"More than I expected to after having to give away my baby girl."

Rolling her eyes, Bella shook her head. "Always so dramatic. Nothing is changing, you know? I'm still your baby girl, and I still live two minutes down the road. It's not like you're shipping me off."

"Feels like it," Charlie mumbled before catching himself and widening his smile. "Now...are _you_ enjoying yourself?"

"I am. It's been...magical. Everything went according to plan, surprisingly enough. Someone must have been smiling down on us today." As she spoke, Bella watched her dad's eyes become a little glassy. His moustache twitched as he pursed his lips and blinked hard.

"She'd be so proud of you, you know? All she ever wanted was for you to be happy and have what we had. She used to wonder about the sort of man you'd choose, the children you'd have." Charlie and Bella peered over at Edward as he crooned to Marley — who'd taken Contessa's place — and swayed her around the terrace, Esme close by to help Bodhi snap pictures of the sweet father-daughter dances on his children's camera - Edward and Marley in the foreground, Charlie and Bella in the background.

"He's a good guy, Bells. You chose well."

Overwhelming, heavy emotion swelled inside of Bella as she shook her head and blinked back tears of her own. "I never had a choice, Dad. He chose me, and I was helpless to resist. We were always meant to be."

Everything that had happened, everything that had lead them to this moment, this day, this life together - Bella had been powerless to resist. Like a runaway train destined to crash, she'd always been fated to fall for her sweet, loving, Italian man. And fall she had; hook, line, and sinker. Everything about him called to her on an elemental level.

His manhandled mop of red-brown hair — the hair he'd passed on to their baby son — his entrancing emerald eyes, the crooked, dimpled smile that had pulled her from the abyss as he carried her from a flaming motel room. The way he parented their children, and the loving reverence with which he handled her...if he had flaws, Bella hadn't found them yet.

As she watched him serenade their daughter, a rosy flush infusing Marley's cheeks and ear-to-ear grins on both their faces, Bella couldn't help but be grateful for the circumstances that brought Edward to her and to their little, ever-growing family.

With the sun setting on their perfect day, her family and friends gathered around her and illuminated by millions of fairy lights, Bella made a silent vow to never let anything destroy or get in the way of their happiness; it was a promise she intended to keep for the rest of her life.

With the sun setting on their perfect day, their family and friends gathered around, illuminated by thousands of fairy lights, Bella made a silent vow to never let anything destroy or get in the way of their happiness.

It was a promise she intended to keep for the rest of her life. A pledge to her family, to her husband and children.

No more looking back.

Facing forward, her father's arms around her and the giggles of her son and daughter over her shoulder, Bella cast her eyes to the sky just as a shooting star flew across the sky.

"Pinky promise," she whispered.

* * *

 **There we have it, folks. That's all she wrote** — **for now. I plan to write a few futuretakes, but I don't want to put a timescale on those just yet. They'll be a part of this though, so you don't need to worry about adding anything else to your alerts.**

 **I want to say huge thank yous to my wonderful beta and pre-reader,** SunflowerFran **and** annaharding. **You've both become friends as well as my dream team and I couldn't have done this and achieved everything I have without either of you. I'll always be grateful for you both volunteering to help me with Pinky Promises, and that you stayed on to help with this story, too. You're wonderful ladies and I couldn't ask for better friends.**

 **Of course, without you, the readers, this wouldn't have been possible, either. For reviewing, cheering me on here and on Facebook, and for trusting me even when I put you** — **and the characters** — **through the ringer, THANK YOU. You're the best and I adore each and every one of you. When I started posting Pinky Promises I'd have been happy with one or two people reading it. It's currently sitting at 697 favourites, 1490 reviews, and 762 people have it on alerts...madness!**

 **Then with this, the sequel, I couldn't quite bear to let go of these characters that I've fallen in love with, but I was terrified nobody would want to read any more. I had visions of people saying 'not again, not more of this drivel' and then you were all so wonderful and encouraging. I can't thank you enough for supporting me.**

 **If you didn't already know, I have a page on Facebook where I ramble and share teasers and pictures to go with the chapters. You can find me at '** CiaraShayee's Subconscious **.'**

 **I've also made the decision to re-work Pinky Promises slightly and publish it on Kindle/paperback. It's a huge, scary decision but I'm so excited to see my words in print, and I hope you'll like it, too. I'll post info on that on my Facebook page and here, but I'm hoping to have it finished and available in August/early September.**

 **So...there we have it. Have an amazing weekend, everyone, whether you're at the meet-up or not. Much love to you all! xo**


	22. Promises Are The Sweetest Lies

**Okay gang** — **we're back with the Promises gang after I specifically  
** **said I was going to leave them alone for a bit *facepalm*  
** **I officially have no self control. Anyways...  
** **This is for an awesome cause, one I'm super excited to be a part of.**

 **The Babies At The Border charity compilation is raising money to  
help the children and their families affected by the tragedy at the border in the US.  
I'm honoured to be one of over a hundred authors submitting pieces to this  
compilation. For just a ten dollar donation to one of the chosen charities, you  
can receive the entire compilation! To find us, search 'Babies At The Border Charity  
Compilation' on Facebook or 'BatB_2018' on Twitter. Also, you can find all the  
information for donating and the compilation at  
babies at the border (one word) dot blogspot dot com.**

 **Anyway...enough of my rambling! This is part of chapter one of between ten and twenty,  
just to whet your appetites. I'll post a couple of teasers on my Facebook page,  
CiaraShayee, as well as pic teasers. ****The rest will be exclusive to the compilation  
until December, when I'll post the rest right ****here.**

 **Huge thanks to my beta,** annharding **, for being amazing and dropping  
everything to work on this for me.**

 **All the familiar characters, of course, belong to  
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.**

 **~ oOo ~**

 **Summary:** _At ten, she idolised him. At thirteen, she crushed on him. At sixteen, she fell in love with him. And at eighteen, his perfect image was shattered. Marley knows it's pointless loving Baden Kane, but first loves are hard to shake—especially when they're a famous singer who also happens to be a family friend. His promises are the sweetest lies, but her sweet tooth is rooted deep._

 **Promises are the Sweetest Lies**

"Now, are you _sure_ you don't want to come with us? Nobody will mind if you do."

Marley shook her head with a small smile, stroking the chubby cheeks of the baby in her lap. "No, thank you, Ma."

The little boy stirred awake as she brushed a lock of dark hair away from his forehead, flashing an enormous pair of dark chocolate eyes.

"Hey, baby boy," she cooed, bending to kiss his button nose. "Are you awake now, little bear?"

As she fussed over her little brother, Marley could feel her mother's gaze on her—could feel her contentment at having her home, _finally_. The flash of Bella's phone camera preceded a squeal from the baby and a yell from the top of the stairs.

Volume control—something severely lacking in the Cullen household.

" _Mamma, have you seen my black trainers?"_

Bella shook her head and stowed her phone, patting Marley's shoulder before heading upstairs to help her son find his shoes.

Meanwhile, Marley soaked up her brother's smiles and giggles. She'd only been back for a visit a few weeks ago, but the sweet six-month-old seemed to have changed so much even in just that short space of time.

"Oh, Teddy," Marley sighed, sitting him up on her knees and bouncing him lightly. "Why do you have to grow so fast, huh?"

He offered her a gummy grin and a spit bubble in reply.

The oldest and youngest of Edward and Bella's children, Marley and baby Eddison—or Teddy, as he was more often known—had a strong bond. Eddison lit up whenever his big sister was around; in turn, Marley doted upon him as much as possible. She couldn't wait to dress him in the little outfits she'd found in the costume store just off campus. He'd make the cutest cowboy, that was for sure.

"Little Sweet…"

No matter how strong her bond with Eddison grew, nobody compared to the man standing in the doorway with tear-filled eyes and a brilliant, double-dimpled grin. He'd been away in London at some super important meeting when she arrived late last night, so this was the first time she'd seen him in almost a month.

"Daddy!" Marley carefully set Eddison on his playmat before throwing herself into her dad's outstretched arms, the familiar scent of his aftershave coupled with the scratchiness of his beard against her temple bringing nostalgic tears to her eyes. "I've missed you."

Sighing, Edward squeezed her. "I've missed you, too, Little Sweet. It's been too long—you're too far away."

"Daddy…" Her tone brooked a warning that made Edward chuckle as he pulled back, cupping her cheeks and brushing a few stray tears from her face.

"I know, I know. You're twenty years old, all grown up, and I promised I wouldn't nag, so I won't." His emerald eyes glinted with happiness. "It's just great to have you home, even if only for a flying visit."

It was Marley's turn to wear a gleeful grin as she contemplated ruining the surprise she had planned. It would mean her father's smile wouldn't be slipping anytime soon, but...no. She had a plan. Whenever she chose to tell him, he would be ecstatic to learn her visit wasn't as 'flying' as he thought, but Marley had already decided to wait until she was due to depart to tell her parents and siblings about her gap year. They expected her to leave next Friday, thinking she'd be heading back to university to return to her barista job, when she was, in fact, not going anywhere. Her friends had already helped her pack up most of her room—all her things were being shipped down from Leicester the following weekend, when Maggie's uncle drove her and her things back to Eastbourne. They'd opted to share his van rather than both fork out for individual shipping. It complimented Marley's scheme to keep her family in the dark, too.

"Mamma says you're not coming out with us today. You're welcome to, you know?"

"I know, Daddy, but I'm still knackered after the long drive yesterday, and I've got a few things to unpack…" she trailed off with a small, amused smile when he mumbled about how she may as well not bother, seeing as she was disappearing so soon.

Eddison let out a loud squeal, clearly not happy at being ignored, so Edward released Marley to scoop his son into his arms, peppering the boy's face with kisses as he squirmed and giggled. Marley watched with warmth spreading through her veins and a wide grin on her face; she missed this. Heading to Leicester for university hadn't been easy, not even a little bit, but it was seeing her dad and brother that made her the most homesick.

 _Well, both her parents and all her siblings, actually._

Bella re-joined them with the rest of the Cullen brood trailing after her, each of them dressed for the birthday party they were attending after their dentist appointments this morning.

Bodhi was the first to throw his arms around her, and Marley couldn't deny the sting of guilt when she realised it had been almost two months since she'd seen him—he was at a football tournament when she last visited. Now just a month shy of fifteen and easily as tall as her at five-seven, he was looking more like a man than a boy with every passing day. His once sweet, soft voice was deepening with every conversation, his now-angular face almost identical to their Pawpaw Charlie's.

"Hey, sis," he sighed, his long arms easily encasing her as she held him by his mop of blond curls and his back, cradling him just as she had when he was a baby.

"Hey, little Beesy." Just as strong as her bonds with Eddison and Edward, but in a different way, her bond with Bodhi was something nobody else could, or would, ever understand. They'd been through so much together; _seen_ so much. Nobody would ever replace Beesy in her heart.

"You just had to show up in the middle of the night, huh? Dramatic, much?"

Ruffling Bodhi's curls, Marley smirked and gave him a playful shove away from her. "Whatever, Bees. You're just jealous that the favourite child is home."

Scoffing, Bodhi slumped onto the sofa and shook his head as Marley pulled their younger brother into her arms. Like Bodhi, Enrico was tall—even at eleven, he wasn't far off Marley's height. Cheeky and every bit his father's son, he wasted no time with pleasantries, wrapping his arms around Marley to give her a hard squeeze. "You're home in time for the finals of my football tournament!"

Marley beamed, kissing his freckled cheeks and brushing his mop of dark hair away from his face. He really was Edward made over, from his copper toned mane to his mint green eyes. "I can't wait to watch you, Rico. I brought my pompoms and everything. Will you score a goal for me?"

Puffing up, Enrico nodded and flashed her their daddy's crooked grin. "Sure! I'm the top goal scorer for our whole league...right, Dad?"

Proud as punch, Edward rocked baby Eddison in one arm and looped his other around Bella's waist. "You sure are, son."

Last, but certainly not least, to enter the room and squeal their way into Marley's arms, were her adoring sisters. Maisie and Bailyn shrieked loud enough to startle Eddison as the sisters giggled and embraced in a three-way hug. Nobody had been more excited than Marley to find out that she was getting not just one, but _two_ sisters just a year and a half after Enrico was born. Maisie and Bailyn were a gift no-one had expected, especially not so soon after Enrico's arrival, but the now-nine-year-old identical twins were a delight.

With their long blonde hair and blue-green eyes, they were almost carbon copies of their mother at this age. The only thing that set them apart was the dimple that appeared to the left of their smiles whenever they were happy—they got that from their daddy.

"You're home!" they cheered, peppering her with question after question about university, her friends, had she seen the video of their recent ballet performance and weren't they great?

Now reunited with all of her five siblings, Marley sat back on her bended knees and soaked it all in. It was loud, chaotic, and a complete culture shock after so many weeks away from her busy family, but it was perfect.

 **~ oOo ~**

Like with any large family, getting the Cullen gang out of the house proved...challenging.

With Marley home to help, it was a little easier—but not a lot. By the time Bella and Edward had corralled their youngest five children into the minivan, Marley was exhausted and more than ready to put her feet up on the sofa and enjoy a bowl of cereal in front of the TV with more than just the basic channels shown in the dorms. Sammy the dalmatian—now twelve and a lot slower than he used to be—followed her with a wagging tail and a happy, doggy grin, content to have his ears scratched each time she passed him.

She remained in her shorts and t-shirt pyjamas, sliding her feet into her worn-soft slippers before pouring cereal into a pasta bowl, filling it with milk, and heading back into the living room. Sammy climbed onto the sofa to sit with Marley, his hip popping as he sat with a long huff.

Foregoing her cereal for a moment, Marley gave his soft head a kiss, cradling his muzzle as he gazed at her with slightly cloudy, mis-matched eyes. The spots on his face were now a faded grey rather than the black they'd been as a puppy, his once-sharp gaze made foggy by age and sad from the loss of his sister. They'd lost Faith to a cancerous tumour a year ago. She was much-missed, her absence still glaringly obvious twelve months on.

"You're a good boy," Marley told him with a thumbs up. Regardless of his deafness, she'd always found herself talking to him. His tail gave another thump against the cushions as he rested his head on her knee.

Only halfway into the first episode of Friends, the doorbell rang. With a grin, she bounced up with Sammy trundling along behind her, assuming it was her Aunt Rose or Uncle Emmett. Bella had warned her to expect them now they knew she was home. Marley had missed them all—silly Uncle Emmett, sweet Aunt Rosalie, and their three crazy littles, Xavier, Ella, and Dennis.

But it wasn't any of them.

"Lia?"

As soon as Marley opened the door, her best friend threw her arms around her with a squeal. "You made it, _finally!_ It's been so _boring_ without you, Marshmallow. I tell you, bunning off the last week of lectures and coming home early would have been a hell of a lot more interesting if you'd kicked off your goodie two shoes and come with me."

Lia didn't waste any time waiting to be invited in—she toed off her shoes, gave Sammy an ear scratch and a kiss on his nose, and headed straight for the kitchen, leaving Marley smiling and shaking her head in her wake as she closed the door and followed her through the hall. She leaned against the end of the counter as Lia rummaged through the breadbin, her pierced lips curling up when she found what she was looking for.

"I've fucking missed these," Lia declared, holding up the tupperware box of homemade oatmeal cookies.

"Ma sent some a few weeks ago," Marley pointed out, snatching the cookie Lia tossed her out of the air. "You can pour us some milk, too."

"Got it, got it."

Marley flopped back on the sofa in the living room and paused her show, sighing as she relaxed back into the cushions and listened to Lia cheer the chocolate milk in the fridge.

 _Now it feels like home._

Ever since they were small children, Lia and Marley had been the best of friends. They'd bonded over a shared love of Bella's homemade oatmeal cookies and Lia's mum's homemade lemonade. They began taking turns having sleepovers at each other's houses, both more than comfortable letting themselves in and making themselves at home after over a decade of friendship. Lia's parents, Greg and Aly, were kind and welcoming, always treating Marley the same as their own three children—Lia, the eldest, followed by Louise and Logan.

"So, Mars…" Lia handed over another oatmeal cookie and a glass of cold chocolate milk, then dumped herself on the sofa beside Marley. Sammy sprawled himself out on the rug, his eyes on the girls and their snacks just in case they dropped any crumbs. "What're your plans for the day?"

Marley twisted her lips and nodded pointedly at Lia's outfit. They were wearing matching pyjamas, both in shorts and tank tops. The fact that Lia had driven over in pyjamas came as no surprise to Marley. "About the same as yours, I imagine. Lounging, _Friends_ , and binge-eating Ma's homemade _everything_."

Lia's blue eyes sparkled with glee. "Perfect. Now...is Papa Cullen around? 'Cause I've missed him almost as much as I've missed Mamma Bella's cookies."

With a roll of her eyes, Marley kicked Lia's foot and unpaused the TV. "No, he's out with Ma and the littles. You'll have to get your fix later, if you're sticking around."

Lia simply shrugged and got comfortable. "Eh, I'll hang with you. I've got nothin' better to do. And it's been way too long since I've had me some Daddy C."

"You're incorrigible, you know that? You realise this is my dad you're drooling over?"

Unrepentant, Lia chomped another bite of her snack before following it up with a chug of milk. "It's not my fault your Ma is married to a serious DILF, Mars."

"Oh, _gross._ "

Lia made no secret of the fact that she liked to fawn over Edward whenever he was around. She went from pierced, tattooed, biker chick to demure goodie two shoes the second he appeared—well, when he was listening, anyway. When he was out of earshot but still within ogling range, all bets were off. It both amused and disgusted Marley.

"If you can quit being a slut over my _Dad_ for five minutes…" Marley giggled as Lia gently shoved her. "I've got some face masks that need using up."

"Sounds good to me. I need to look tip top for DILFward."

Marley face-palmed.

 **~ oOo ~**

An hour later, Marley and Lia had slathered their faces in cream promising forever youthful skin and the elimination of blackheads, painted their fingernails—pale blue for Marley, alternating black and yellow for Lia—and were just starting on their toenails.

"Same colours?" Marley asked, sliding a foam toe separator between Lia's toes.

"Hmm...oh, go on then. I suppose they'd better match. How about some music first though?"

With a shrug, Marley unfolded herself from the sofa and crossed the room to the sound system on the the wall.

"Oh, Marshmallow—put that album on that I like! You know, the one by that guy…the one who's friends with Hot Papa?"

Marley's heart fell into her stomach. "Ralph Kane?"

"That's the one!" Lia snapped her fingers. " _Maaan_ is he one fine specimen. Any chance he'll be making a pitstop in little ole Eastbourne this summer? It's been…what? Two years since he's been back? Surely he's due a visit and I'm due some ogling time."

Thankful she was facing away from her friend, Marley scowled as she flipped through the CD cases on the rack and huffed. "Doubtful."

"I read that he's in Vegas splashing the cash at some big poker tournament. Gee, what I wouldn't give to get on top of that fine beast. Did you know, he…"

When Lia went off on a tangent, she didn't need any kind of audience participation, so Marley let her mind wander as she searched for Ralph Kane's debut album. He'd released lots more since the original set of ten songs, but this was the one Lia always requested.

The idea of him 'making a pitstop' was ludicrous. He hadn't made any effort to drag himself away from his harem of women or flashy penthouse in New York for over two years.

 _Not since the accident…_

"C'mon, Marshmallow. Oh, here we go! Right in front of you, you silly twit." Lia bumped Marley's hip with her own, grinning wolfishly as she slipped _Dark Days_ from the rack and waved it in front of Marley's face.

"Oops. Give it here, then. And stop pulling funny faces—you'll crack your mask."

The idea of spending the afternoon listening to Ralph's album put a frown on Marley's face, but she managed to school her expression by the time she hit 'play' and shoved the remote in her pocket so she wouldn't have to get back up. As the first, heavy chords of _Dawn_ began, she slumped on the sofa and tried to focus on painting Lia's nails instead of the entrancing lyrics and the deep timbre caressing the words.

It was impossible. His voice drew her in—it always had.

Marley remembered when Ralph wrote this song. She was there when he named it. He couldn't decide what the title should be, so he and Marley had made a chart containing all the keywords from the song before tacking it on the fence, closing their eyes, and blindly throwing darts at it. The first word to be hit three times would be the title—so, the song became _Dawn_ when Marley's dart joined Ralph's two.

After that, their unorthodox method was called upon several times. _Woods_ , _Orion_ ,and _River_ all got their names from scraps of paper pinned to a holey dartboard in the Cullens' back yard. Marley couldn't help but wonder if the dartboard was still out in the shed. It had been upgraded years ago, but she remembered seeing it over Christmas break when she and Bodhi went digging for Christmas decorations. Despite her irritation whenever she thought of Ralph, Marley found herself inexplicably stuck in memories of his grin as she declared the new names of his previously unnameable songs.

Falsely comforting nostalgia was a bitch when the past didn't match up to the present.

 **~ oOo ~**

"Hells bells, Mars—I could eat a scabby donkey! Do you reckon your 'rents would mind us raiding the cupboards?"

Marley snorted and shook her head as she uncurled her legs and made to get up. "I doubt it. You know Ma loves to feed people. I bet she stocked up the freezer ready for your inevitable invasion, too."

Lia was positively gleeful at the notion. She rubbed her hands together and promised to join Marley on the hunt for lunch fixings just as soon as she'd been to the bathroom to wash off her face mask; Marley had gotten rid of hers a short while ago.

However, Lia didn't make it to the bathroom. As she crossed the hallway, a sharp, triple _rat-a-tat_ at the door stopped her in her tracks. She took one look at the dark head of hair through the translucent glass pane in the center of the door and grinned slyly.

"Well, well. Jakey Snakey…that didn't take you long, did it, now?"

Marley's on-off relationship with Jacob Black, their childhood friend, had always puzzled Lia. She'd watched them slip into an easy relationship which had survived the turmoil and separation of attending different universities—Jacob had opted for Chichester in the south while Marley headed north to Leicester. Well, it had withstood the distance for a bit, anyway.

For the first six months or so, they'd stayed in regular contact and visited each other often. More than once, Lia had made herself scarce so they could make good use of their shared dorm room. Although, to the best of Lia's knowledge, Marley had never given Jacob anything other than heated kisses and a grope here and there.

Then, out of the blue around eight months into their first year at university, Jacob broke up with Marley. No warning, no hint of anything awry—just a text message to end their relationship. Just like that. Marley was devastated and Lia, homicidal. She hopped on the first train to Chichester and returned to Leicester the following day with a smirk on her face and the promise that Jacob was suffering for his sins.

Much to her dismay, only a few weeks later, he was back in both Marley's good graces and her heart. Since then, they'd had an on-off sort of deal, never getting too serious but never cutting the cord tying them together. To be honest, it drove Lia a bit mad, but she was pleased he'd shown up so soon after Marley's arrival back in town—she loved to hate and harass him. Plus, as much of an asshat as she thought he was, Marley liked having him around and Lia liked seeing her happy, so...she could deal.

Yanking open the door, Lia had several sarcastic lines queued up for Jacob. They all died in her throat as she sucked in, and choked on, a deep breath.

 _That's definitely not Jake the Snake._

A million thoughts raced through her head as she took in a disheveled mane of chestnut locks, her eyes travelling down over a broad set of shoulders which tapered down into a fitted t-shirt, worn cargo shorts, and a pair of what seemed to be brand new Converse—the white material gleamed in the sunshine. Lia swallowed hard, spotting the guitar case at his feet and the cigarette dangling from the long fingers of his right hand.

"Uh, are you okay?"

 _Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph…the walking piece of man candy talks._

She'd seen him before, of course; up until a few days ago, her dorm room walls were covered with posters of that face. That body. Admittedly, in most of them he was wearing less clothes, but Lia had a vivid imagination.

She met the visitor's gaze for a split second, her wide eyes barely registering the confused knot of his brows or the stubble framing his jaw before she screamed—loudly—and slammed the door in his stunned face.

* * *

 **So...thoughts?**

 **The rest of this will be part of the compilation, which require a donation of ten dollars to one of the chosen charities, and you'll be blessed to receive a massive amount of stories from some of the most amazing authors, including some who've been 'retired' for a while!**

 **In other news...Pinky Promises will be coming to Amazon and Kindle over the next month or two, so if that's something you'll be interested in, come find me on Facebook at CiaraShayee so you can see my upcoming cover reveal and keep yourself posted on release dates and such :)**

 **xo**


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